iipii 
Swill 



WILD OATS SOWINGS: 



OR THE 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN ADVENTURER. 



A tale 
Of moving accidents, by field and flood. 

Shafcspeare. 



BY S. W. OUSHING. 





Jc>UlxJ^ty 




(J wJ 

17' 








NEW- YORK: 


'UBLISHED 


BY DANIEL FANSHATV, 


35 Ann-street, corner of Nassau. 




1857. 




ac^ 



<£-"> 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, 

By S. W. CUSHING and D. FANSHAW, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern 

District of New- York. 



CONTENTS. 



Preface, . . . . 15 

CHAPTER I. — Introduction — Birth — Parentage— Early training — 
Education — My roving cousins — Early inclination to the sea — 
Mrs. Barnes — School-boy tricks — The old school system — The 
new school system — Difference in favor of the latter — Evil tend- 
ency of indiscriminate flogging in schools — Seamen's boarding- 
houses — My inclination to frequent them — Pernicious results — 
Present condition of the sailor compared with the past — The 
result of Christian benevolence, 17 

CHAPTER II. — Introduction to grammar-school — Rapid progress 
— Satisfaction of friends — Reveal my inclination for the sea — 
Opposition — Means to produce a revolution in feelings — Fail — 
— Compromise — A damper — My mother's determination — Capt. 
A. — The Swiftsure — Nautical pride — Under way — Delight — Sea- 
sickness — Tricks upon travelers — Biter bit — W — Cape Cod 

— New scenery — Smell a rat — Capt AJs advice — Introduction to 
my new friends — Mrs. H. — Mrs. R. — Miss P. — MissN. — Instruc- 
tions — Duties — My new designation — My first regrets— Too late 
to repent, 27 

CHAPTER III. — Determine to run away — Capt. A.'s advice — 
Enlist a sympathizer — Desert my post — Reach the vessel — Se- 
creted on board — The puzzled skipper — That's a whapper — The 
anxiety of the people results in the fox being unearthed — Mirth 
of passengers — Rage of officers — My disembarkation, and cus- 
todians — Cape Cod compliments — Balancing accounts — The court 
assembled — The prisoner arraigned — Trial — No defense admitted 
— The sarpent condemned to be flayed alive — Execution of sen- 
tence — Miss P. — Gratitude — Hatred — Mr. H. — His intended 
generosity— Revelations, one-sided — General treatment — Cod and 
bass fishing — Winter occupations — No relief — The cabbage- 
plants— Opposition to Methodism, and its results, . . 35 

CHAPTER IV.— My sonViqupt— Profanity— Miss P.'s tracts— The 
germ engrafted — After-effects— Mr. H.'s standing — His peculiar 
gift and accompaniment — The value of a soul— Alter my plans — 



4 CONTENTS. 

Determine to escape oyland — Fears— Tavern-keeping — Pumping 
— Advent of the pious negro — His reception and entertainment 
— 'Nigger" excites the pity of the negro— His departure fol- 
lowed by mine — The ice — Crossing the bay — The embayed brig — - 
The ship-keeper — His kindness — Arrive #t Orleans — The colonel 
and the baker — Catch a weasel asleep — The v old negro's superior 
tactics — Reconnoitering — All right— My dream and its results, . 43 

CHAPTER V. — Dennis — The good farmer— Continue my journey 
— The inn at Hanover — The maniac — A scene — Departure — 
Quincy — Arrive at home — Reception — State of feeling in regard 
to former wishes — Evil tendency of parental dislike to their sons 
becoming sailors — Reflections — The alternative — Lieut. Com- 
mandant D e — The Corvette — Reception on board — The 

middy — Employments of the men on board — The general exer- 
cise — All hands to witness punishment — The incorrigible — Re* 
flections on flogging in the navy — Honor to whom honor is due— 
I'm bluffed off*— The fishing-smack — Good times— Mount Desert 
—-What was done there — The fountain of supplies for our navy 
in war time— The fleet breaks up— A stroke of good luck, . 53 

CHAPTER VI.— Mackerel fishing— Squalls— Gloucester— Visit my 
relatives — I change my berth — W.— My old master and his family 
— An offer to compound— Uncle Joe's bantering— Sharp thorns 
—The pedler adrift— New occupation— The winter passage— 

Piaster— Arrive at home— Reception— I h— Again leave my 

friend&=~The boarding-house keeper— Ship on board of the 

g a—Under way for Charleston, S. C— Our naval architects 

— Capt. H g—My first lesson— Caught in a fix— Desperate 

energy— Threatened with a flogging— Come out right— Mirth of 
passengers— All's well, , , . ...-.'. 65 

CHAPTER VII.— The Voyage— Exultation— The old salt's advice 
.^Watches— The lighthouse— Adieu to my native hills— Explan- 
ation of marking time on board ship— Improvidence of sailors— 
Off soundings-Porpoises— Sport— A capture— Cape Hatteras— 
The Gulf-stream -Squalls— Thunder and lightning— A quiet ship 
—The contented steward— The gale— All hands— Wish myself 
on shore— The deluge and the hurricane— Terrific war of the 
elements— Making all snug-— Hove to— Light-heartedness of sail- 
ors—The tables turned— Another call— Scudding— A narrow 
eecape-^Invalided— Momentary regrets— The storm over— All 
right— Land ho i > 7 ^ 



CONTENTS. 5 

/ 

CHAPTER VttL— Sight of the coast—Prepare to enter port— 
The pilot — Fort Moultrie — Nullification — Charleston — Aspect of 

the place — Southern chivalry, and the darkies — Return to B 

— Shaw's— A fright — Nobody hurt — Capt. Marks — His chief 
officer — Questions — Explanations — My compact — Mum's the 
word — My uncle— again afloat — The Thamar — Mark's address 
to the crew — Concealing goods for smuggling — Instructions — The 
West Indian waters and .their beauties — -The bay of Port au 
Prince — The negro pilot — Hug Francaise — Our cook — The cus- 
tom's officer — Midnight plottings, «,.... 88 

CHAPTER IX.— Port au Prince— =Its aspects— St. Domingo bugles — 
Miss Nancy— First equipment— ^-1 pass muster — Politeness — Mon- 
sieur Rose — The portfolio — Introduction to the family — Madame 
Rose — Agnes — Celeste — Pauline — The smuggler in clover — 
Learning French, and vice versa — Pauline's dilemma — Solution 
of the problem — Relative positions of negroes and mulattoes — 
Surveillance— Capt. Horner — The French Admiral — A lesson in 
politeness— A drunken revel, ...."•. 99 

CHAPTER X. — My second trip on shore — Monsieur Rose running 
the mail — Progress in study — Last trip on shore — Leave-takings 
— Promise to return — Letters of introduction — Pauline — Pere 
Felix — A gift — The parting — Monsieur Rose's liberality — Marks, 
a comforter — Under way — Dispatches — The note — The confess- 
ion — Marks, a prophet — The Bahama banks — Tropical fishing 
— Mississippi water — The tow — Ascending the river — Scenery — 
An alarm — The wreck — New-Orleans by moonlight — The fruit- 
dealer — The belligerent cook — Dispose of my venture, . 110 

CHAPTER XL— My credentials— Monsieur Dufilho— A French 
welcome — Introduction — Quizzing — Routine pour passer le temps 
— Off again — Marks' reception by the Dufilhos — Passage — The 
British middy— Marks shows up the monkey — Part company with 
the cutter — Arrive at Port au Prince — Another trip and return 
— Accept the offer of Monsieur Rose — Small-pox — The victims 
marked — The last run — The accident and arrest — Examination 
— The brig seized — The calaboose — Blanketing — My companions 
— Disagreeable reflections — Re-examination and re-committal — 
Improved condition — A ruse — Miss Nancy — Hope dawns — The 
fatal news — Its effect, 120 

CHAPTER XII.— Notice of liberation— The escort— The parade- 
President J. P. Boyer — The mulatto condemned — The marching 



O CONTENTS. 

salute — The yard of execution — The negro priests — Execution of 
the criminal — My release — Conveyed on board — Despair — In- 
toxication—Announce my determination to quit the Thamar — ■ 
Marks opposes my design— My last visit to the Dufilhos— Settle- 
ment with Marks — The invitation — The fountain — Introduction 
to Marks' friends — Young Horner — A cruise in the Crescent City 
— The roulette and faro bank — Its scenes — I try my luck — Marks 
a winner — The Kentuckian — I'm cleaned out — A fit of despera- 
tion — The gendarmes— Luck changed — I come off with all the 
honors, 128 

CHAPTER XIIL— Congratulations of Mills—His good advice- 
Marks' mistake — His offer rejected — We part friends — Take 
passage for New-Bedford— Arrival — Proceed to New-York — In- 
ducted into the mysteries of Gotham by Barker, the blackleg — 
His expose of the tricks of his profession — His conduct and 
death — The Hayti — Arrive at Mobile — Leave for New-Orleans — 
Try various employments — Eighth of January in New-Orleans — 
Legion de la Louisianne — A new acquaintance and an invitation 
■ — Capt.Wm. Brown — Powder and patriotism — The segar factory 
— Capt. Brown's offers — The Liberty — Engage in the Texan ser- 
vice — My duties — Material for a ship's company — Off for Texas, 133 

CHAPTER XIV.— The convoy— Hoisting the flag of 1824— Sail 
from the Balize — Sight the coast — Discharge the convoy — The 
suspicious vessels — Chase — Galveston— The Shenandoah and her 
consort — Slave speculation of the notorious Munroe Edwards — 
We are baffled — Galveston in 1836 — Lafitte's town — Discontent 
— Tory hunting — Sail upon a cruise — The Montezuma — Disap- 
pointment — The norther — Shipping our sea-legs — Coast of Yu- 
catan — Capture of fishermen — Their ignorance — Original wit — 
Sisal, and what we found there — The Mexican schooner — The 
council and resolve — The Cape Cod man — His fright — The Nim- 
ble — The stranger re-assured — News — Resolution confirmed, . 148 

CHAPTER XV.— Call for volunteers— Bad luck— Two boats stove 
— Resolve to proceed — The hazardous passage — The Sabine — 
I'm commissioned to effect a loan — The hostile skipper — The 
point gained— Plan of attack — Part company — Awaiting the signal 
— The Mexican watchword and response— The signal and re- 
sponse — Give way, lads — Quien viva — The fusilade — The deck oi 
the enemy — Doubtful appearances — Diversion in our favor— The 
Mexicans divided — Our consort falls astern — We clear the decks 



CONTENTS. 7 

— Precautions of the enemy to prevent a capture — The prize 
under way — The battery woke up — Too late — The killed,wounded, 
and prisoners — The prize a smuggler — Make sail for Matagorda, 157 

CHAPTER XVI.— The ghost-seer— The drayman— Superstition— 
The ghost of the galley — The Hoosier put to flight — Mayo ditto 
— The opinion of Beans — The general alarm — Old Possible, the 
roasted cook — Passo Cavallo — Description of the Pelicano de 
Campeche — Arrive offMatagorda — Morehead's volunteers — Pica- 
rooning — Appearance of Uncle Sam's cruisers — We decline any 
more intimate acquaintance — Get under way — Wreck of the 
prize — Narrow escape from drowning — Proceed to Matagorda — 
Loss of the ghost-seer — The Independence and Brutus — Com- 
modore Hawkins — Objects to our colors — Capt. Brown's answer, 164 

CHAPTER XVII.— Capt. Wheelwright— His reception— The Mid- 
dy taken by surprise — Advance of the Mexicans upon Matagorda 
— Departure of the Commodore — We visit the deserted town — 
Proceed to save the property — The drunken fraternity — All in- 
fected — A stormy night and an uncomfortable bed-fellow — Col. 
Wharton — Capt. Brown's lodgings — Prepare for a start — The 
scout — My birds flown— Start for the" vessel — I'm sold — Walker's 
sympathy — Return to the town — The planter and his daughter — 
My new occupation — Short notice to quit — Arrive safe on board, 173 

CHAPTER XVIII.— Boat service— The fog— Get lost— In a tight 
place — Running the gauntlet — The successful ruse — Adieu to 
Matagorda — My new situation — News of the declaration of in- 
dependence — The new flag — Presentation ceremony — Sail for 
Galveston — Part company with the vessels — The gale — The In- 
vincible — Resolve to beach the boat — The landing effected — Jim 
O'Connor and the whisky-jug — The enemy in sight — Land-tacks 
aboard— West pass of Galveston— The raft— The passage effected 
— The ferry-house — Our wants more than supplied, . . . 183 

CHAPTER XIX.— The drunken revel— Search for the whisky- 
Baffled — Accidental discovery — Start for the east end of the 
island — The halt — Arrive at Galveston— Mrs. White — Rejoin the 
liberty — Boat duty — Miss C. and her admirers — Plot and counter- 
plot — Scandalizing the commander-in-chief— The serenade — The 
denouement — The rivals cured — Trouble aboard — The delin- 
quent cook — The refractory crew — The author in irons— Release 
—Take French leave, 193 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XX.— Parr's ranch— The rheumatic sailor— Set out for 
the Fire Islands — Texan prairies and islands of timber — Arrive at 
the ranch — Ready for a start — Offer to accompany the proprietor 
—Offer accepted — Part company with my companion — A mid- 
night expedition — Prairie wolves — The camp on the beach — Em- 
barked — Dr. Richardson's — A Texan planter's breakfast — New- 
Washington — Lynchburg — Harrisburg — Batterson's — Arrive in 
camp— General Houston — The army — Rusk — Lamar — The Na- 
poleon of the South — Destitution of the troops — Burning of Har- 
risburg — The march to San Jacinto, 206 

CHAPTER XXL— The Mexicans wake up— The skirmish— Col. 
Sherman — Col. Neal — Forming the line of battle — Sensations — 
Our artillery — Its effect — The battle-cry — The slaughter and 
victory — A dilemma — A gymnastic feat — I'm laid out — The mar- 
quee — Sykes, the boatman — Return to Galveston — The Liberty 
— Volunteers — The duel — Death of Stanley — The cemetery — The 
fugitives return to their homes — Interview with Com. Hawkins 
— Adjutant Hunter — Diversions — Narrow escape from a dis- 
agreeable cruise — Materials for a larder, ..... 214 

CHAPTER XXIL— A change— Ordered to the Brutus— The cat-o'- 
nine-tails — Capture of the Independence — A queer search for the 
enemy — Results of the cruise — Furlough — Fail in joining the 
Invincible — Disbanding the forces — The new commandant — The 
revolt in the garrison — All hands drunk — The court-martial and 
verdict — Compromise — Houston— Its aspect — President Hous^ 
ton's reply to the mutineers — Fever and ague — The Goose and 
Gridiron — Government scrip — Proceed to New-Orleans — Dispose 
of my scrip — Travels in England — Jack Booz and the country 
justice — Price of turnips — Turnpike gentry — London — Return to 
New- York — Again turn southward, 225 

CHAPTER XXXIIL— Arrive at Havre— Rouen— Passage up the 
Seine — Paris — Monsieur Cuisard — My chaperone — Visit the lions 
— The Dufilhos — The proffered exhange — Adieu — Return to Ha- 
vre — Monsieur Louis — The Florian — Capt Myers — The Bay of 
Biscay — Enter the Garonne — Bordeaux — The Irish Frenchman 
— Voyage to St. Ubes — Sail for Portsmouth, N. H. — Visit my 
native city — Welcome — Rio de Janeiro — Rio de la Plata — Retro- 
spect of Rio de Janeiro — My adventure there, . 236 

CHAPTER XXIV.— The Banda Oriental— Maldonado— Tne mate 
of the Herald— Capt. Burroughs— The yarn— Flores— Monte- 



CONTENTS. y 

video — The hostile squadrons— Don Poncho Munoz— The strand- 
ed vessel — Saladieros — Method of slaughtering cattle — Gauchos — 
Their habits — Description of Montevideo — The war — Rival Pre- 
sidents—Cause of present quarrel — Oribe driven from Uruguay 
by Rivera — The Argentines fail in re-instating him — Additional 
cause of umbrage — The war spirit, 242 

CHAPTER XXV.— A new engagement — Start for Canalones — 
Peons — Appearance of the country — Pulperias — Ostriches — The 
chase — An unexpected result — I'm a prisoner — Destination — My 
offense — Return to the Pulperia — I find friends — Chine's — Ma- 
nuela — Brutality of the guard — Liberated — A race in the dark — 
The unknown guide — A surprise — Bantering — The journey ended 
— The brothers — Matte — Mode of preparation — Doubts of safety 
— Relieved — Agreeable pastimes — Costume of the Gauchos— 
The lasso — Venture into the city — Repeat the visit and am ar- 
rested, 251 

CHAPTER XXVI.— Mock trial— The Cabildo— My companions in 
misfortune — Cockney Sam — Re-examination — Conditions of re- 
lease refused — The blanketing — Impressment — Col. Dupuy — The 
quadroon's effort for freedom — Re-capture — The Perreira — 
Lieut. George — Duties — Visit from my friends — General Begua 
— Persuaded to accept the bounty — Jim George's advice — He de- 
serts — Gratifications — The blunder — The dreaded change effect- 
ed — Don Martinez — Arming and equipping the brig — Tom Lewis 
— A scene, • 263 

CHAPTER XXVII.— Manuel ei Tort— Discipline— The French- 
man's joke — Inability of the Government to pay the men — Spanish 
bombast — The gratification — Adieu to my friends — Vain wishes 
— Arana in good humor — The carousal — Departure of the expedi- 
tion from Montevideo — The Constitution — Don Jose Garibaldi — 
The Perreira — The Esperanza — Aggregate force of the squadron 
— Disguises — Martin Garcia — The enemy suspect our character 
— Signals — Prepare for action — Forcing the passage — Heavy can- 
nonade — Demoniac bearing of Arana — The passage effected — The 
Constitution aground — Appearance of the enemy's squadron — 
Extent of damage — Killed and wounded in our late conflict, . 273 

CHAPTER XXVIIL— The Escape— Entering the Parana— The 
Argentine Admiral duped — The compliments of the belligerents — 
Oriental conclusion — The capture — Severe labors— Good fellow- 



10 CONTENTS. 

ship — Delightful scenery — The Partilla — Confidence restored — 
Entre Rios — Banyous — A night attack — Our position — The ob- 
ject of our expedition — Fickleness of the natives — San Nicholas — 
The prisoner liberated — San Pedro — The midnight foray — A wel- 
come supply — The convent — Santa Rosario — Friendly reception 
— Obtain supplies, 281 

CHAPTER XXIX.— Bajada— Preparations for a battle— The Ar- 
gentine squadron — Warm work — An awful spectacle — Results of 
the battle of Bajada — New scenery — The Capincha — Alarm — The 
hunters vanquished by a grunt — The new claimant for the spoils 
— The game secured — Old Cabo — The Macaco— French cannibal- 
ism — Durow — Bargre — Discovery of the enemy— Deserters' sig- 
nals — Prepare for action — Punfca Gordo — The conflict — Danger- 
ous position of the schooner — Method of doubling the point — The 
catastrophe — Who is accountable ? 291 

CHAPTER XXX.— A fleet of prizes— The twenty years' block- 
ade of Paraguay — The Jesuits and their missions — Dr. Francia — 
His policy — Yankee survivors of the blockade — Their account — 
Capture of the merchantmen — Culpable carelessness of the Com- 
modore — The Tiger — Yenom of the Boca do Algodon — Arana's 
pet — Scarcity of men — Arana's confidence in los Ingleses — Re- 
view of killed and wounded since leaving Montevideo — The Chaha 
The warning — Hasty movements — Too late — Our progress barred 
— The enemy in sight, 302 

CHAPTER XXXI.— The council— Forming the line of battle— The 
caucus — Position of the enemy— Battle of the Costa de Bravo — 
An old score wiped off— The night of the 28th — The Author 
wounded — Abandonment and destruction of the squadron — The 
retreat, 309 

CHAPTER XXXII.— Distress of the survivors— Difficulties sur- 
mounted — Short allowance — A collision — The safe-companion — 
Acute sufferings — The anaconda — The exploration — The Santa 
Lucia — Arrive at Esquina^-Reception — Condition of the puebla 
— The father and son — Argentine mode of expressing contempt 
— Circulating medium, . . . ; v ', . . . 323 

CHAPTER XXXIII.— Off for Egoria— Jim Cook— Our Jehu— The 
fright and stampede — Fate of the Argentine prisoners — Mode of 



CONTENTS. 11 

working oxen — The Napal — The Estancia — The stampede — Re- 
ception — Correntine hospitality — Cheapness of provisions — Cas- 
sava and mandioca — Price of a horse — The ranch — Arrive at 
Egoria, > 333 

CHAPTER XXXIV.— Egoria— Doctor Davidson— Temptations- 
Transformed into a Seiiora — Lieut. Louis — Arrest — Murder of 
Towers — Departure of Garibaldi for the capital — Corporeal 
punishment — The battalion march to Santa Lucia — Established 
in garrison' — Peculiar feature of the country — Queer custom — 
Our family — Jealousy of the Orientals, 341 

CHAPTER XXXV. — Jealousy of the Correntines — Curious saluta- 
tation of the chorister — Friendship established — New music — 
Visiting — The padre and his blessing — New duties — Service of 
the church — Oriental regard for religion — Wilkins — The new 
enterprize — Brighter hopes — The quadroon — Rushton's account 
of the desperate combat between the quadroon and Dufrense — The 
alarm — The failure of our plans, 351 

CHAPTER XXXVI. — Pleasant amusements — Palmas — Ncustro 
tio — Surprised — Our escort to the puebfa — Malicious wit of our 
companions — Relief — Flagellations — A change of affairs — Uni- 
forms—Burials — Letters to the Virgin Mary — Garibaldi's plot 
foiled — The fandango — A call from the padre — Don Francisco— - 
My arrest — Rage of the padre — Sacrilege — My fun spoiled — Re- 
covery of the cross and arrest of Francisco — Lost favor — Rumors 
— Arrival of Garibaldi, . , . ... . 362 

CHAPTER XXXVII.— Hurried preparations for departure— Pro- 
posals — Notified to quit the province — Position of the hostile 
armies — Their numerical strength — Patroling — Adieu to our 
friends — The march commenced — Emotions — Passage of the Ban- 
yous — An uncomfortable night — Terra firma — Relief— Porongas, 
— The Carneada— Cruelty to animals — Training of boys— Cor- 
rentine camp — Our services rejected — Crossing the Uruguay, . 372 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. — March to Salta Grande — Quinces — 
Thoughts of home — The puebla. — Balandras — Falls of the Uru- 
guay — The Patrone — Sailing through a forest — Arroyo Malo — ■ 
The squadron of the Uruguay — Retrospect of the escape of Don 
Francisco — A happy meeting — March of the Biscayans — Bad 



12 CONTENTS. 

news — The lime-kilns — Ostrich eggs — The fugitive General, and 
account of the ruin of the army of invasion — Devotion of Eivera's 
negro troops, 380 

CHAPTER XXXIX.— Effects of the news— Burning of vessels- 
Start for Montevideo — Soriana — Mercedes — Junction with the 
land party — Execution of robbers — Our services required to 
shoot a lady — Garibaldi refuses — Demonstrations — The Oriental 
lancers — March for Montevideo — Santa Lucia — The mount in 
sight — The remnant of the expedition — Enter the city— The 
blockade — Curious measures of the enemy — Materials for an army . 
— Warlike demonstrations — Fortifications — Plan of escape — The 
venture — The Italian boatman — Once more afloat — The Colum- 
bia frigate — American protection refused — Pursuit, . . . 389 

CHAPTER XL. — The Brazilian corvette — A last chance— Lacon- 
ics — Protection secured — Commandant Nerys — Garibaldi's en- 
voy — The demand — Difficulty of securing the protection of Ame- 
rican officials abroad — Consuls — The attack upon Montevideo 
— The Herald— Capt. Burroughs — The Ramos family— Release 
from the Brazilian — Passage to Buenos Ayres — The Argentine 
capital — Reception — Opinion of the captain of the port — Don 
Ramon Ramos — Settled for life — The Baleineiro — The rene- 
gade, 393 

CHAPTER XLL— The accusation and arrest— The retiro— The 
alcalde — Trial — No defense admitted — Committed to the retiro 
— The alternative — Enter the service — The bounty — Argentine 
currency — The Chacabuca — Major Craig — Occupations — Con- 
duct of the English and French Admirals — Progress of the war 
— Attack upon el Isla de las Ratas — British interference — In- 
sults — Cruising — Pamperos — Endeavor to procure a discharge ■ 
— Refitting — Apply for a transfer — Promoted — Receive a pre- 
sent — Ordered to the San Martin — Admiral Brown — Hypo- 
chondria, 408 

CHAPTER XLII. — Boat-service — Capt. Voorhees — His powers 
of imitation — His reward — The Sardinians — Result of their in- 
terference— -Ij^peet a brush— The Buceo — The camp of the be- 
siegers — Military punishment — A spectacle — Cockney Sam — 
Death-and-glory boys— Stranding of the Gorgon — My turn to 
leave — Ordered to the Federal — New line of service — La Co- 



CONTENTS. 13 

Ionia — Treason— The massacre — The blockade of La Colonia — 
The assault and capture of the place — Retribution — An awful 
scene — The unquenched spkit— Reflections, .... 419 

CHAPTER XLIII.— Maldonado— The guerilla warfare— Notice to 
quit — Communicate with the citadel — The convoy — The attack 
— A night of it — Final defeat of the Eiveristas — The island — Its 
ruined fortifications — Capture of a pickaroon — Jean Alexandre 
■ — Another change in the aspect of affairs — The demand of the 
allies — Refusal of Gov. Rosas — Consequences— Seizure of the 
fleet — Our escape — Arrive at Buenos Ayres — My disappointment 
— Ordered to the Parana— The Phillemore, .... 430 

CHAPTER XLIY.— Obligado— Fortifying— Determination of the 
Argentines to oppose the progress of the enemy — Obstructions 
— Potato-seeds — Col. Thorne — Means of opposing the enemy — 
Arival of Don Ramon and his niece — Dissatisfaction of the Eng~ 
lish seamen— Folly of resistance — The desertion — The capture — 
Fate of the deserters — My fears relieved— The traitor and his 
sentence — The doomed men — The camp — Appearance of the 
Anglo-French fleet — Forebodings, 43$ 

CHAPTER XLY.— The Patricios— Marcilla's address to the troops 
— A medley — Major Craig — A magnificent scene — The battle of 
Obligado — Ignorance of the natives — The San Martin — Dreadful 
slaughter — Explosion of the Republicano — Death of Craig — Fear- 
lessness and noble conduct of the women — Intrepidity of Man- 
cilia — Explosion of the shell and its effects — My situation and 
sufferings — Hope — The negro's prayer — Misery — A night of de- 
spair — A wonderful providence — Relief — The hammock — My 
situation discovered — The French officers — Their opinion, . 446 : 

CHAPTER XLYL— The English surgeons— Interrogations— Yin- 
dictiveness of the English sailors — False accusations — Protection 
— Refreshments — Delirium — Brutality — My destination — Blind- 
ness — Fever — Offers of service — British estimation of our defense 
of the post — Declaration of Com. Hotham — Confirmation — The 
ring — Under way — The Chacabuca destroyed — Santa Rosario — 
A ray of light — Sight restored — Transfer to the transport — Hu- 
manity of a British Admiral — Sail for the Mount — Delirium — 
Arrive off the Mount — Transferred to the Yernon frigate, . 456 

2 



14: CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XLVIL— Surgeon Moxy— My future destination— An 
- amputation — Out of danger — Cross-questioning — Admiral Ingle- 
field — Placed in irons — Companions in durance — The troop-ship 
— Our transfer — Sail for England— Six upon four — Peak of Pico — 
The British packet — News of the war between the United States 
and Mexico — Whoever heard of the United States in England? — 
Sufferings from cold — The captain of the Apollo — Portsmouth — 
The Victory — Memorials of Nelson — Visitors— Admiral Parker 
— Sir George Seymour — His courtesy, ..... 4G5 

CHAPTER XLVIIL— The chapel— The flag-captain and his family 
— The British lieutenant — A gleam of hope — The demand — Sur~ 
render — An acknowledgment of British humanity — Cowes — Os- 
borne House — An adventure — Disappointment — Proceed to 
London — Southampton — Adventure in the cars — The sisters — 
London — The consul — Friendship of the English for the Yankees 
— The old man and his granddaughter — Passage to the United 
States — Land in New-York — Proceed to Boston, . . . 473 



PREFACE. 



No one undertakes the task of getting up a book 
without an idea, in the first place, of bettering himself, 
or herself, pecuniarily; and in the second, place, of con- 
ferring the benefit of his experience upon those around, 
who have not had so extended an acquaintance with the 
world. 

These were the grand motives that impelled the 
author to the labor of which this work is the result ; and 
in presenting it to the public, he would simply express 
the hope that its perusal may serve to gladden the hearts 
and brighten the hopes of those whose eyes are straining 
oceanward for the loved one, long absent but still unfor- 
gotten, for whose safe return the throne of Heaven is 
daily importuned. To such as these the pictures of life 
at sea and in foreign lands are always welcome, and to 
such this work is the more especially dedicated by 

The Authoe. 

Boston, May 1857. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS; 



OR 



THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN ADVENTURER. 



CHAPTER I. 

Introduction — Birth — Parentage — Early training — Education— My rov- 
ing cousins — Early inclination to the sea — Mrs. Barnes — School-boy 
tricks — The old school system — The new school system — Difference 
in favor of the latter — Evil tendency of indiscriminate flogging in 
schools — Seamen's boarding-houses — My inclination to frequent them 
— Pernicious results — Present condition of the sailor compared with 
the past — The result of Christian benevolence. 

In these clays, when book-writing has become the ordinary 
occupation of a large proportion of our countrymen, as well 
as women, it requires no ordinary sacrifice of diffidence in the 
amateur, to venture even upon the record of an " owek true 
tale." By far the greatest stumbling-block in his way, is the 
glowing language, innate in some 5 in which the hero or heroine 
of the modern novelette is portrayed, and which appears at the 
present day to be the standard most commonly accepted by the 
people and aimed at by the author. But this standard will not 
do for the relator of sober facts of actual life, who is obliged 
to place ideality beyond his reach, that he may the better follow 
the course of events in his history. 

Truth is stranger than fiction. This, though strictly true, 
appears to be forgotten. Among other and like sands of gold, 
it has been voted obsolete ; and the youthful mind, instead of 
being instructed as well as amused by the recorp of actual 

2* 



18 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

occurrences, is left at times to exult, admire, or sigh over the 
achievements or tribulations of some creation of the scribbler's 
brain. The consequences may be seen daily in the thousand- 
and-one false notions of life and human character betrayed by 
the young of both sexes, on their advent upon the stage of the 
world, who have made their debut with expectations never to 
be realized, because in most cases impossible. 

The aim in life will correspond with the character and 
tastes of the individual. Many will desire to become rich, yet 
very few, comparatively speaking, will succeed ; and not a few 
of those who reach the goal of their desires, will do so to the 
ruin of both soul and body ; and " what shall it profit a man if 
he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?" Many, again, 
will aspire to celebrity, fame ; but none of this class may hope 
to reach the pinnacle to which their ambition spurs them. 
They may, it is true, follow in the track of their instructors, 
and enjoy for a brief space the eclat of the same class in which 
they themselves graduated ; but it will be evanescent as the sum- 
mer cloud, which dissolves and is lost for ever. Many, again, will 
become imbued with the spirit of adventure : these, for the most 
part, become mere rovers, without home, or any settled object 
in view. They are cosmopolitan ; their home is the world. 
Thousands of these are lost to their kindred and homes annu- 
ally, who under a different course of reading and instruction 
would have remained to gladden the social circle of many an 
estimable family, who now mourn the absence of a wanderer. 
How many, infatuated by the daring exploits of pirates and 
highwaymen, as portrayed by the brilliant pens of the last 
ten years, have become the inmates of our prisons ! how many 
have expiated a life of crime upon the gallows ! It is univer- 
sally admitted, that the first and paramount desire of mankind, 
in whatever way it is sought, is notoriety, or to become an 
object of mark to their fellow-men; and it is. equally certain, 
that all are not alike strong-minded. How easy, then, — and I 
may say, not inconsistent, when we consider the depravity of 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 19 

human nature, — for the weak-minded youth, upon finding the 
avenues to distinction closed to him from lack of natural abili- 
ties, to turn into that broad and soul-destroying road, where all 
the gifted, alas ! yes, the gifted and the groveling, are alike 
competitors. 

Many voices have been raised latterly against the evil 
tendency of the modern novelette, but as yet the tide is un- 
checked ; and worse than all, the theatres, once the temples of 
propriety and reason, have lent their aid in the great work of 
demoralization, by enacting the actions of criminals, carefully 
bringing forward to the light whatever real, or in most cases 
imaginary good traits, they possessed, as if in extenuation of 
the most daring and revolting crimes that ever disgraced the 
earth. In this country, the rush to witness the performance 
of such plays as " Jack Sheppard," "Dick Turpin," " Martin 
the Highwayman," etc., is truly astonishing. Who are they 
who go to witness these representations? StejW) the doors 
of our cheap places of amusement. As crowd after crowd of the 
youth of our land disappear beneath the portals, you will there 
find the ragged and scantily clad news-boy, and the well-dressed 
and well- car ecl'-for apprentice, elbowing, jostling, crowding 
with loafers, blacklegs and drunkards ; and above the mass 
rises in strange unison the ribald jest and profane oath, indi- 
cative of the presence of the debauchee and the ruffian. 
, Will any one wonder, that such schools and examples as 
these turn out bad citizens 1 I think they will not. But the 
subject of wonder is, that people whose eyes are opened to 
these facts, should remain quiet and suffer them to exist. 
They are by some, and should be by all, felt as an outrage 
upon society. In this respect we are behind our neighbors 
upon the other side of the Atlantic. There the public exhibi- 
tion of such plays were found to have so pernicious an influence 
upon the morals of the lower orders, that the public authorities 
were obliged to forbid their representation; and yet it was 
carried no farther there than it is here. But a careful inspec- 



20 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

tion of the prisons, and examination of prisoners, instituted by 
order of the British Government, developed these facts beyond 
gainsaying. In regard to public exhibitions the law may 
suffice ; but in that of reading, nothing will avail but parental 
authority. Books are plentiful and cheap, and the world 
furnishes bona-fide subjects enough to swell their number to 
infinity. The only object, then, is to create a desire for solid and 
useful information: this, when once effected, is seldom lost. 
History, voyages, and travels, in most cases beguile the youth- 
ful mind ; and if parents would take the trouble to explain the 
difference between a work of veracity and one of fiction, many 
would be drawn away from the vortex which is ever open to 
receive its votaries. 

There are many men and women moving around us in our 
e very-day walk in life, whose history, if properly written out, 
would afford more instruction and amusement, even to the 
young, than the massive piles of paper and ink which load the 
counters of me literary depot. The history of one of these 
persons I am about to portray, hoping that it may be found 
sufficiently entertaining to repay the reader for the trouble of 
perusing it ; and if any one should be benefited by the con- 
clusions which they may be enabled to form upon the various 
subjects of which I shall treat, I shall not consider as useless 
my efforts to please them. 

The whole contents of this work is a narrative of facts 
which have transpired in the life of the writer, who has under- 
taken the work by the solicitation of many friends, for the 
gratification of their laudable curiosity, and the hope that it 
may remunerate him for the labor of its compilation. While 
I shall give a detail of stirring adventure, the work will possess 
some interest in a historical point of view ; as all of the events 
described, in which the Author participated, have occurred 
within the last twenty years. Another feature will be the 
description of men, manners, and customs, as I saw them, in dif- 
ferent parts of the world, with the scenery, natural history, and 



Wild 6a?s sowings. 21 

Incidents ; all of which I shall submit without comment to the 
judgment of the reader. I shall endeavor to be as concise as the 
nature of the subjects will admit of; and with this introduction^ 
relying upon the indulgence of the courteous reader for whatever 
grammatical or logical errors he may find in the composition of 
the work, I shall enter at oiice upon its details, hoping that it 
may servo, to afford instruction, as well as beguile the tedious^ 
ness of idle hours, too often thrown away upon the novelette* 
" Train tri* a child in the way he should go, and when 
he is old HE WILL NOT depart from IT.*' So said Solomon ; and 
the like has been said by every wise man from time immemorial* 
It is acted upon by many judicious parents and guardians, who 
take the trouble to observe and carefully study the dispositions 
and inclinations of their children. But with the mass it is 
different : the great difficulty appears to be 111 deciding what is 
to be the way in which he should go. With the first, the 
wishes of the parent in regard to the child will be governed by 
£he knowledge of its character, which must be to a great extent 
<the creation, under God, of the parents ; while the infant mind 
<of the child,, under their guiding and fostering influence, may 
faave all its capacities developed and variously turned into 
their proper courses. With the last, an overweening desire to 
have their children considered prodigies of smartness and 
aptitude lead them to neglect their necessary early training, 
and the consideration of the great question as to the way in 
which they are to go, of should go, is of course dropped : the 
golden moments have passed ; the child has assumed the right 
of governing himself; and it is soon found that nothing but 
strong coercive measures will avail to keep him within bounds. 
It is now that the worst traits of our nature develop them- 
selves and commence their growth, and each succeeding year 
witnesses a decline in parental authority. Many will yield to 
persuasion ; but it is not until they verge upon maturity, and 
consequently have been the occasion of much needless anxiety, 
and too often of suffering, to fond parents. 



22 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The subject of this narrative was born in the city of Boston, 
Massachusetts, — that most staid and moral of American cities, 
whose fame has gone forth to the uttermost bounds of the 
earth, where enterprize, intelligence, and industry are appre- 
ciated, — upon the first day of September, 1818, of a good and 
highly respectable family, Among my earliest recollections, 
and inseparably connected with them, is the old wooden church 
which whilom stood at the corner of Stillman and Salem-streets, 
where I first heard the word of God preached by the venerable 
Dr. Wayland, the late President of Brown University. There I 
also attended Sabbath-school and received my first religious 
instruction ; and how often in after-life has my mind reverted 
to the kindly admonitions and religious precepts which were 
there instilled into it by the kind and faithful servants of God! 
— precepts which, though sown by the wayside, where the weeds 
sprang up and choked them for a season, were destined at last, 
through his mercy, to produce the fruits of righteousness, to 
his honor and glory. 

The youngest of five children, I was the petted, and I may 
almost say "idolized" object of our family circle, whose utmost 
care seems to have been to gratify my every wish, without 
any consideration as to its propriety. This course, continued 
in until I had attained my sixth year, at which time my father 
died, found me a wayward ; and spoiled child. Bent upon 
having my own way in everything, at this age I experienced 
much sickness, which was undoubtedly the reason of much of 
the neglect of my early training 5 and my dear mother, who 
immediately after the death of her husband broke up house- 
keeping and went out to board, taking me with her, was so 
occupied with her own bereavements, that much of the care of 
me devolved upon an invalid aunt of mine, a sister of my 
mother, who, although a very estimable lady, possessed the same 
overweening fondness for me; the consequence was, that I did 
not improve under her tuition. 

I had early learned to read, and the condition of my health 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 23 

being such as to keep me confined within doors, and never 
taking much pleasure in toys, my mind naturally turned to 
books. Nature had done much in bestowing upon me a good 
understanding and a retentive memory, and I could at an early 
age appreciate and understand readily the writings upon most 
subjects which fell in my way. Added to this, at my aunt's 
I frequently saw two young gentlemen, distant relatives of our 
family, who were attached to the United States Navy. In 
their company I took much delight; and I often laugh, when I 
think of my childish wonder at the strange stories which they 
would tell of what they had seen upon the ocean and in 
foreign lands ; and at my childish glee, not unmixed with ter- 
tor, at their hoarse imitations of the commands usually given 
upon shipboard, and of the various calls of the boatswains and 
their mates. These, added* to their descriptions of the wealth 
of foreign countries, backed by a profuse display of gold and 
silver, which, according to their assertion, was lightly won, 
irrevocably fixed in my mind the determination to be a sailor. 
-• My course of reading, or rather the larger part of it,*which, 
up to the advent of these roving cousins of mine, had been 
geography and history, of which I had been very fond, now 
took (though nearly allied to the two former) a new direction. 
Books of voyages and travels, of whatever kind, whether of 
fact or fiction, were eagerly sought after and read with 
avidity; and those writings which treated of their subjects in 
the most marvelous light, were invariably prized the most. 
Having a relative who kept a large bookstore in the city, I 
had no difficulty in procuring whatever I wanted in that line, 
as all my friends ever gave me every encouragement in what- 
ever pertained to the acquisition of knowledge. 

At eight years of age, my health having become restored, I 
was sent to school. This, which was of the primary order, 
was kept by a Mrs, Barnes. The building stood upon the site 
now occupied by the church of the Eev. B. Stow, in Salem- 
street, or rather in the court leading from Salem-street, the 



24 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

name of which I cannot now recall to memory. Mrs. Barnes 
was an austere woman and a rigid disciplinarian, as I soon 
found to my cost. Just turned loose from the kindly atmo- 
sphere of a home, where I had been accustomed to naught but 
gentle words and the smiles of affection from infancy, it will 
not be wondered at that the cold, and as I thought unfeeling, 
glances of the school-mistress sent a chill through every vein 
in my body. Everything appeared strange and even repulsive. 
My temper was not bad, but there was a natural buoyancy, 
almost amounting to volatility, about me, which was ever 
seeking for some object to prey upon. This my new precep- 
tress was not slow in discovering ; and as a natural consequence, 
after having been twice forgiven, I received a tremendous 
Whipping, for making such uncouth faces at the school-mistress 
behind her back as set the whole school in a roar, in spite of 
all their terrors of the birchj which there outstripped even 
knowledge in its thrift. Such was my first introduction to 
King Solomon's method of instilling instruction into the hide 
(I had almost said mind) of the refractory. This was my first * 
day at school. I returned from it with my back striped like 
the Sides of a hyena. I did not fret much at my disgrace, 
after the immediate smarting of the flagellation had subsided, 
as I had an indistinct notion that I deserved the punishment; 
but my dear mother was much distressed, and had I not remon- 
strated against it, she would have kept me from school alto- 
gether. A note of gentle remonstrance from my parent 
produced a sort of compromise between Mrs. Brown and myself, 
in which the promise of sundry (visionary as they afterwards 
proved) presents were to exchange ownership, thus inducing 
me to promise amendment, and I was installed into a seat con- 
spicuously placed, where from under my contracted brow I 
could clearly discern the Argus eyes of my instructress con- 
tinually directed. During that and the three succeeding days 
my behavior was all that the lady could have wished ; but as 
yet no lesson had been assigned me. The object seemed to be, 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 25 

that I was to get an idea of the difference between home and 
a public-school into my head, and to understand its attendant 
pains and penalties. With the remark that I was a good boy, 
on the fifth day of my term I was placed in a class and com- 
manded to get a lesson. But, unfortunately for me, the form 
upon which I was seated breaking down, although truly with- 
out any agency of mine in producing the disaster, led me to 
wish that I had been in Jericho. The established order of the 
school had been violated ; and I, though innocent of any wrong 
whatever, was marched out into the centre of the school- 
room, where, in spite of my most solemn protestations of inno- 
cence and promises to behave myself, I received flogging num- 
ber two ; which exceeded the first in this respect, that the 
former was administered in birch, and the latter with a heavy 
rattan. I did not recover from its effects for a week. I made 
no complaints, not even to my mother or aunt; but, young as 
I was, I understood perfectly well the injustice which had been 
done me, and secretly vowed to revenge myself by doing all 
the mischief I could. But the season when I joined the school 
being near the end of the term, prevented my playing any 
tricks for a time. 

Upon examining me in regard to my acquirements, she 
pronounced me sufficiently versed in the rudiments to enter 
one of the grammar-schools, and I left her charge, my last act 
being to enter the school-house through one of the windows, 
(which I did from the shoulders of another boy,) and breaking 
every rattan and ferule in the room, after tearing up two 
shawls and a hood which I found behind the rostrum. I never 
had another chance to annoy her myself; but a larger boy, at 
my instigation, ran her down as she was crossing Salem, at 
its intersection with Prince-street, in the following winter. In 
those days the boys frequently made the public streets their 
coasting-ground. The accident resulted, I am happy to say, 
in only frightening the lady a little. 

I do not relate those incidents of boyish mischief from any 



26 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

feeling of exultation, but rather to show by what untoward 
circumstances a youthful mind may be led astray, and to seek 
its own pleasure and revenge, contrary to the rules of govern- 
ment established by the pedagogue. The entire school system 
has changed, and happily, too. Thirty, and even twenty years 
ago, the schoolmasters and mistresses were as imperious in assert- 
ing their prerogative to govern the children committed to their 
charge, as are the despots of the world in dictating to their 
meanest subjects ; and in this they were upheld by public 
authority. Now that the system is more under the supervision 
of the parents of the children who are being instructed, its 
effects are visible in the decline of the soul-hardening flogging 
system, and the substitution of gentle admonition and encou- 
ragement. There are many, it is true, who cannot be reached 
even by this course ; but they may never be bettered by the 
floggings, however severe, which they may receive, the ten- 
dency of which will only be to bring out and foster the growth 
of all the worst features of our nature. 

As I was too young to enter the grammar-school, — the 
law specifying that none under ten years of age should be 
admitted to their privileges, — I entered the school of the 
North Square District. This was likewise a primary establish- 
ment. Here, although I learned nothing from my studies, 
they being merely rudimental, I read a great many books ; and 
the school-house being very near a number of boarding-houses 
kept for the accommodation of seafaring men, I had every 
opportunity for indulging my penchant for listening to their 
"yarns," as they in nautical phraseology termed them. With 
them I also frequently visited the wharves, going on board of 
many of the vessels and climbing into their rigging, but as 
yet keeping in close proximity to the deck. These excursions, 
of course, were utterly unknown to my mother, who, although 
I often expressed to her my admiration for everything which 
pertained to ships and sailors, never for a moment dreamed 
that I should ever wish to try the hard and perilous life of 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 27 

those who "go down to the sea in ships, and do business upon 
the great waters." 

It may readily be supposed that my intercourse with thesa 
people did not improve my morals. The sympathies of the 
benevolent had not been extended as yet to the moral condi- 
tion of the sailor; but thank heaven, a brighter day has 
dawned, and already its cheering beams are felt and appre- 
ciated. No longer looked upon as outcasts, our gallant tars, 
under the guiding influence of Christian benevolence and 
instruction, have risen to a position in society, whose influ- 
ence tends in itself to keep alive the spirit of improvement 
and progress. May the tide still roll on, for it is written, 
" the abundance of the seas shall be his." 



CHAPTER II. 



Introduction to grammar school — Rapid progress — Satisfaction of friends 
— Reveal my inclination for the sea — Opposition — Means to produce 
a revolution in feelings — Fail — Compromise — A damper — My mother's 
determination — Capt. A. — TheSwiftsure — Nautical pride — Under way 

— Delight — Sea-sickness — Tricks upon travelers — Biter bit — W 

— Cape Cod — New scenery — Smell a rat — Capt. A.'s advice — Intro- 
duction to my new friends — Mrs. H. — Mrs. R. — Miss P. — Miss N. — 
Instructions — Duties — My new designation — My first regrets— Too 
late to repent — Determine to run away. 

My pursuit of pleasure was at length interrupted, in this 
direction, by my entering the Hancock School, in Hanover- 
street, in which I commenced my studies in grammar and 
arithmetic. In these I made rapid progress, to the great 
satisfaction of my teachers and friends, who were profuse in 
their encomiums at my steady advancement. I continued at 
school for the greater part of three years, during which time I 
acquired what is usually considered a good English education ; 



28 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



was well read, even remarkably so for a boy of my age, upon 
most subjects; and, as is generally the case with school-boys, 
imbibed a notion that I was perfectly qualified to commence 
life upon my own account. It was about this time that I first 
spoke to my mother of my inclination for a life upon the ocean. 
As may well be supposed, my mother was at once surprised 
and frightened. She pictured in saddened tones the dangers 
and hardships of those who sought a livelihood upon the great 
deep, and deprecated strongly my intercourse with the sailors, 
an account of which I gave her. She perceived that the mania 
had taken a firm hold of me, and had too much good sense to 
deny my wishes altogether ; therefore in conclusion I was told, 
that if after I had thought the matter over well, and had got a 
little older, I still continued in the same mind, she would try 
to gratify me. This concession was not made without many 
tears. She bade me remember that I was her only son, 
(my brother having died some time before my father,) and that 
I was the sole comfort she had, who she hoped was destined to 
grow up and be her support through life. How often have I 
since regretted that I had not acceded to her wishes ! But 
childhood, and even youth, is most often selfish, for the reason 
that they cannot understand the depth of a mother's affection 
for her offspring. Everything was now brought to bear upon me 
which was calculated in the least to overthrow my determina- 
tion. My sisters united their efforts to those of my mother. 
Accounts of awful shipwrecks, pirates, and of the sufferings of 
shipwrecked seamen, which they put into my hands and strongly 
commented upon, instead of producing the desired effect, only 
served to confirm me in the course which I had laid out for 
myself. I remember that there was one thing which they 
dwelt strongly upon, which for a little time acted as a slight 
damper upon my aspirations ; this was, their account of the 
punishment of seamen by flogging with the " cat-o'-nine-tails," 
which they were certain I would encounter frequently ; but 
the effect of this wore off, upon some of my nautical friends 



WIID OATS SOWINGS. 29 

assuring me that the " cat " was used only upon the refractory, 
and that a well-behaved man or boy was seldom punished. 

Thus everything conspiring to confirm me in my hobby, 
my mother determined to send me a short trip upon the water, 
in hopes that the usual sea-sickness attendant upon a first sea- 
voyage would have the effect which she desired. Accordingly, 
the necessary preparations having been made, and the day 
having arrived, after a leave-taking which was purposely 
made very affecting, I was confided to the charge of Capt. 

A d, of the good schooner Swiftsure, which ran as a packet 

between B and W , upon Gape Cod, where I was to 

be consigned to the charge of a friend of my mother, a Mr, 
H k, who had already received special directions concern- 
ing me. Many were the tears which were shed on both sides, 
for this was the first parting from my dear mother and sisters, 
and I almost repented that I had ever wished to leave my 
home. But the glowing accounts which I had read and heard 
of a life upon the ocean wave passed in rapid succession before 
my mental vision, and I tore myself away, and still sobbing, 
ran by the side of my conductor, who with long strides led the 
way to the dock, where his trim craft was moored ready for sea. 

Captain A was an old and weather-beaten sailor of the 

old school, of a rather rough appearance as regarded his exterior, 
but of a kindly nature, and in cheering tones he sought to draw 
my mind from the thoughts of home, which still distressed me. 
" So, boy, you wish to be a sailor, do ye ? Well, it's no bad 
wish neither, though I say it. True, it's hard to part from 
home and friends, but what then ? They '11 be so much the 
more glad to see ye when ye return. Ye '11 take a trip with 
me down to the Cape. But mind, boy, that will not be going 
to sea, by a long shot ; no, that will only be a smell of the salt 
water for the benefit of your health, as 'twere ; ye '11 find old 
ocean a different affair." 

By this time we had reached the vessel, which was having 
her lading completed. He stopped suddenly, and laying his 

3* 



30 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

hand gently upon my arm, pointed his finger to his floating 
home and said, " There, lad, mind I tell ye, ye '11 sail many a 
thousand leagues before ye '11 fall in with a handsomer craft 
than that." And in truth she was a beautiful vessel ; but I 
could not account for the warmth of feeling which appeared to 
glow both in his features and language, as he pointed out to 
my untutored gaze the various points of excellence in the 
model and spars of the Swiftsure. ■ I had yet to learn that the 
true sailor conceives an affection for his vessel little short of 
that with which he regards his loved ones at home. The 
captain being called away, I was directed to amuse myself in 
any way I chose, with an injunction not to stray away from 
the vessel, or fall overboard, for fear of losing my passage. 

At four in the afternoon we hoisted our sails ; and casting 
off our fastenings, the noble vessel glided out into the bay, 
where the strong south-west wind catching her sails, she 
yielded gracefully to its influence, and in a moment more 
the blue waves dashed from her bow in broad and shining 
sheets of foam. For a short time I was in an ecstasy of delight, 
not unmixed with fear, when I saw, during the more powerful 
gusts of the breeze, the water rushing through the lee scuppers. 
My wondering eyes did not escape the notice of the passengers, 
of whom there were a large number on board, or of the crew, 
who no doubt enjoyed the fun very much. But every rose 
has its thorn, and my pleasure was soon to be dashed by some- 
thing which I had not thought of. Already before we had 
passed the castle, an undefinable feeling of uneasiness in my 
stomach became evident; and before we had cleared Long 
Island, the usual libation to the briny deity, whose dominions 
I had invaded, was rendered, calling forth much merriment 
from the crew, and particularly from the sable genius who 
presided over the cuisine, whose capacious jaws, when opened 
to their full extent, induced the fear that the head would part 
company with the body. This dignitary prescribed raw pork 
and molasses as a sovereign remedy for my complaint ; while 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 31 

an unlucky wight, who was in the act of holding a cup of salt 
water to my lips, instead of fresh, which I had asked for, (which 

manoeuvre had not escaped the notice of Capt. A ,) received 

a blow from the giant fist of that officer, which laid him 
sprawling in the lee scuppers, with the admonition to mend 
his manners, and play no more tricks upon travelers. Leading 
me along the deck to the companion-way, which in nautical 
parlance means cabin-doors, he advised me to go below and 
turn in, at the same time calling to the steward to take charge 
of me. But sick as I was, it was obvious to me that thai 
person had his hands full already ; however, he pointed out a 
berth, into which I rolled, and for a few moments endeavored 
to go to sleep, but the motion of the vessel and the close, warm 
atmosphere of a crowded cabin, together with the smell of the 
bilge-water, (stagnant water always found in the bottom of a 
tight vessel,) soon made me glad to return to the deck, where 
I ensconced myself under the weather-bulwark by the side of 
the helmsman, and there remained between sleeping and waking 
through the night — certainly one of the most unhappy nights 
that I ever spent in my life, and the very reverse of what my 
day-dreams had led me to expect. However, the morning's 

light found us snugly at anchor in "W" harbor, and soon 

after, the ebbing of the tide left the vessel high and dry upon 
the sands, when all hands walked ashore. 

It was a bright sunshiny day, and my sickness having 
ceased with its cause, (the motion of the vessel,) my spirits in 
a great measure revived; and in the gratification of my 
curiosity at the new objects which surrounded me, my troubles 
were forgotten. The difference in the country, as to appear- 
ance, at so short a distance from home, surprised me. Such 
immense barren hills of sand — the long, low lines of sheds, as 
I termed the covered vats where salt is formed by the evapora- 
tion of sea-water by the heat of the sun — the flakes of inter- 
woven brush, covered with salt fish of various kinds, undergo- 
ing the drying process — all were new and strange to me, and 



32 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

I thought I should never tire of looking at them. What a 
letter I would write to my dear mother and sisters about 
them ! how pleased they would be to read it ! 

Unconsciously a sigh escaped from me, as the parting scene 
from those who loved me came to my mind, and as I thought of 
the wide space which separated us; but new objects rose upon 
my sight and chased away for a time all unpleasant thoughts. 

" Come, boy," said Capt. A , " I will show you the 

way to the house of your new friends." By the way, they 
are nice people — old acquaintances of mine ; and if you are a 
good boy they will do well by you. But they have got a 
pretty good lot of children of their own," he continued in a 
musing tone, " and I think that I should as lief let the lad 
have his way, and send him to sea with some good captain, as 
to leave him here." 

This, though evidently not intended for my ear, was not 
lost upon me ; and a vague idea that there was some secret 
arrangement to which I was not knowingly a party, crept into 
my mind and caused me some uneasiness. 

" Why, Capt. A , I have not come here to remain but 

a short time, have If 

" I don't know, youngster ; but I rather guess that you 
will remain until you get away : but Uncle Tom will satisfy 
you upon that point. All I can tell you is, be a good boy 
and you will do well enough." 

This conversation brought us to the house of my friends, 
who received me very kindly : but there was no resemblance 
between them and any one whom I could recollect to have met 
among the many friends at home. The family to whom I was 
introduced consisted, at present, of an old lady, the wife of Mr. 

H , (or Uncle Tom, as he was more familiarly termed,) 

who, it appears, was settling up his affairs in Boston, prepara- 
tory to retiring from business, after the acquisition of a com- 
petence in the oyster-trade, and three daughters^ 

Now that I have become domiciled in my new home, I will 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 33 

proceed to introduce my new friends to the reader. Mr3. 

H was a venerable lady of some seventy years of age, as 

near as I can recollect, a 1 though from her appearance few per- 
sons would judge her to have been over sixty. She was smart 
and active as a cat, with small piercing grey eyes, which almost 
looked as if they could see through an oak plank of anything 
like ordinary thickness ; otherwise her features were regular 
and even handsome ; but there was a certain knowing and 
positive way in which she inclined her head to her left shoulder, 
that gave me to understand that as I had come there to find a 
mistress, I must look out for breakers. I observed, likewise, 
that she smoked a pipe, which to me was the strangest thing 
which I had encountered yet ; and she was also excessively 
fond of snuff, which was ever an abomination to me. Alto- 
gether, I did not like her appearance. The next person in 

order was a daughter, Mrs. R , a rusty, hard-visaged widow 

of about thirty-five summers, though one who in the main, 
when it did not conflict with her interests or inclinations, could 
be both kind and companionable. I set her down as one with 
whom I should not endeavor to establish much friendship, and 
truly I never did. The other two members of the family were 

girls of eighteen and sixteen respectively. The elder, P , 

was a tall spare girl of ordinary appearance, which was 
relieved, however, by a kindly heart and winning manners ; 
while the younger one, N , who was smaller" both in stat- 
ure and understanding, was as pert and proud a little minx as 
ever walked. I do not know but that the reader of these 
pages will charge me with want of gallantry in writing of the 
ladies after this manner, but my duty as a faithful narrator, in 
their proper places, of my feelings, as well as of my adventures, 
demands it. 

These four comprised the whole of the family at the time 

I joined it. But I was informed that Mr. H himself 

would arrive home by the next return packet, and in the 
meantime I was instructed to address that gentleman, when I 



34 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

should have the happiness of seeing him, by the title of 

gran'ther (grandfather ;) Mrs. H as grandma'am ; and the 

sons and daughters of the old people as uncle and aunt ; and 
I was given to understand that I was to drive the cows to and 
from pasture, work in the garden, and do the chores generally 
about the farm. This gave a turn to my affairs which I had 
not counted upon ; but it was too plain to be misunderstood, 
and I submitted to my fate, merely observing that I had not 
expected to remain with them for a longer period than suited 
my wishes. To which the old lady tartly replied, " You have 
come here to work, you sarpent!" 

The first three or four days convinced me that I was to be 
made the drudge of this amiable family ; for besides the above- 
noticed persons, there were other sons and daughters, having 
families who occupied houses contiguous to the parent-hive. 
These were continually flitting backwards and forwards 
between the respective dwellings of their "gran'ther," and 
uncle this and aunt that, and I found that I must hold myself 
ready at the beck of all indiscriminately. To this injustice I 
subsequently demurred, and received a severe flogging for my 
pains, with the assurance that I should get down upon my 
knees and kiss their feet, if they required it. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 35 



CHAPTER III. 

Determine to run away — Capt. A.'s advice — Enlist a sympathizer — 
Desert my post — Reach the vessel — Secreted on board — The puzzled 
skipper — That's a whapper — The anxiety of the people results in the 
fox being unearthed — Mirth of passengers — Rage of officers — My dis- 
embarkation, and custodians — Cape Cod compliments — Balancing 
accounts — The court assembled — The prisoner arraigned — Trial — No 
defense admitted — The sarpent condemned to be flayed alive — Exe- 
cution of sentence — Miss P. — Gratitude — Hatred — Mr. H. — His in- 
tended generosity — Revelations, one-sided — General treatment — Cod 
and Bass fishing — Winter occupations — No relief — The cabbage-plants 
— Opposition to Methodism, and its results. 

But to resume the thread of mj narrative, not liking the 

aspect of things, I determined to return to B as soon as 

the packet sailed again, and I applied to Capt. A for a 

passage. Upon hearing my request he looked at me and 
laughed. " So soon, youngster ? Why, you are soon tired of 
your visit to the Cape." I stated frankly to him the position 
in which I was placed, and the prospects before me. He 
acknowledged the justice of all I said, but told me that he could 

not take me back to B without the permission of Mr* 

H , as by doing so he should offend that person, with 

whom he was connected in business. In conclusion, he advised 
me to endeavor to do the best I could, and take the earliest 
opportunity to inform my mother, who he had no doubt would 
take me home again. This was all very well, as far as it went, 
but it did not satisfy me. I thought that I could not get away 
too soon. 

Having told one of the men attached to the packet, just 

before we left B , of my destination, it occurred to my 

memory that he had spoken of Mr. H in a very dispara- 
ging manner, he having formerly lived with him upon his 
farm. To this person I applied. He readily agreed to secrete 



36 WILD OATS SOWINGS, 

me on board, directing me to hold myself in readiness the next 
day. Accordingly on the morrow, the morning chores having 
been finished, I went to work as usual in the garden, where I 
continued until about ten o'clock ; when, throwing down the 
hoe, I dodged away out of sight of the house, and ran as fast as 
I could to the harbor. I arrived just in time, the tide having 
in its flow nearly surrounded the vessel ; and in the hurry of 
the many people who were getting on board her cargo of 
oysters, I gained the deck, as I thought, unnoticed, and hastily 
secreted myself in the forecastle, congratulating myself upon 
my escape, and in imagination was already treading the streets 

ofB . 

But I had reckoned without my host. I was doomed to 
disappointment, and should have been lucky had it stopped there. 
An hour or more passed ; and as the flowing tide by degrees 
righted the vessel, and I could hear the sailors casting loose the 
sails, followed quickly by the heaving up of the anchor, my 
anxiety became intense. But now the sound of approaching 
footsteps descending the forecastle stairs fell upon my terror- 
stricken ear, followed by the voice of Capt. A summoning 

me to come forth from my hiding-place. I remained silent as 
the grave, scarcely daring to breathe. I had thrown the 
clothing out of a chest belonging to the aforementioned man, 
as had previously been arranged, and ensconcing myself within, 
had closed the lid. Having searched all around in vain, he 
stopped, as he afterwards told me, completely puzzled, and 
almost believing that I had left the vessel again. I could hear 
his every motion, and judged correctly in regard to the dilemma 
he was in, which at length found its vent in an oath, which 
prefixed the remark that he knew that I was down there, as 
he had seen me go down with his own eyes. "I'll tell you 
what it is, youngster, its no use ; you might as well come out : 
I know where you are," (thinks I, that's a whopper; tell 
another,) "and if you don't show yourself soon, I'll hunt you 
out, when we get clear of the land, and throw you overboard." 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 37 

I thought I might as well be thrown overboard as to return, 
so I did not comply with his request. 

Presently I heard him ascending to the deck, and again I 
breathed freely. But my respite was of short duration ; for the 
singularity of my disappearance inducing some of the people to 
fear that I had fallen overboard, they commenced a more 
thorough search, which resulted in the chest being overhauled, 
and I was dragged forth miore than half dead with fright, 
amid shouts of laughter from the passengers, intermingled 
with curses from the officers at the detention I had caused. 
I was hurried into a boat which was waiting alongside, and 
with sorrowful eyes beheld the little vessel fill away and glide 
swiftly upon her course toward my dear native home, which 
I now only regretted I had ever wished to leave. 

I had been delivered into the charge of two stout boys — or 

I should rather say, young men — grandsons of Mr. H , and 

they, it appeared, had already taken offense at my very appa- 
rent desire to leave them, and they seemed greatly delighted at 
the prospect of the whipping which they informed me I was 
sure to get. In short, they did not fail to annoy me to the 
extent of their ability; to all of which, I am sorry to say, 
I responded in terms equally as gross as those which they 
used. I must not forget to mention a profusion of kicks and 
cuifs I received from them, which it appeared they thought 
necessary to balance accounts, but which I managed to keep 
in my favor. 

In this way I was dragged and kicked along until we came to 
the house, outside of which the whole family were assembled to 
receive us. The old lady advanced a few paces to the front, her 
head cocked to the left shoulder, her eyes sparkling with rage, 
and her right hand, armed with half a dozen tough birch 
switches, hid behind her; while the rest were drawn up in the 
rear in true military style to witness the punishment. 

I was dragged forward and confronted with the old woman. 
There was a profound silence, broken only by my sobs, for 

4 



38 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

my whole body ached from the effects of the ill usage of her 
grandsons. My tormenter, after looking at me for a moment 
with a grin of satisfaction upon her countenance, commenced : 
" So you 've tried to run away, have you ? I'll teach you to 
do that again! I'll learn you how to behave yourself, and 
what you've got to expect here!" She now demanded of her 
grandsons where they found me, and how I had behaved. 
The account was not in my favor; as the reader may judge, 
and it did not lack embellishment adverse to my cause ; but 
every attempt to speak, on my part, was instantly quashed 
by an outcry from the whole posse, above which could be heard 
the stern command of the old woman — "Stop your mouth, 
you sarpent!" 

I saw my case was hopeless, and therefore quietly submit- 
ted- to my inquisitors, merely informing them that I would let 
my friends know, as soon as I could, of the way they treated 
me. This only served to produce a laugh at my expense, 
and a sneering remark from the old one that I had no friends ; 
and I could not doubt her word, as far as it regarded my 
present position, and I did not hesitate to tell them so. This 
remark appeared to them to be ail that was required to fill 
the measure of my iniquity, for they declared with one voice 
that I deserved to have the hide taken off of me — a process 
which the head of the court expressed her determination to 
execute to the letter. So, after citing King Solomon's injunc- 
tion to parents and guardians, that the willful and obstinate 
youth should be corrected with a rod of iron ; she seized me 
by the collar, and flogged me until she was compelled from 
sheer exhaustion to desist. After the castigation came a 
shower of opprobrious epithets, in which all, with but a single 
exception, joined. This one exception was the eldest girl, 

Miss P . She really pitied me ; and after my tormentors had 

left me, she sought with soothing words to comfort me, at the 
same time telling me that when her father got home I should 
be better treated, I was very grateful to the kind-hearted girl 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 39 

for her sympathy with my misfortunes, and from that time she 
was the only one of the family whom I could love or even 
respect. I had always been very tender-hearted ; and although 
at times I was both willful and obstinate, yet a few gentle 
words would serve in most cases to bend me to the will of 
others. But with this punishment my whole nature appeared 
to be changed : a burning, bitter hatred of the whole place, 
and especially of the family with whom I lived, with the one 
only exception mentioned above, seemed to take possession of 
me ; and although I strove hard to conceal my feelings, they 
often burst forth in open revolt at some instance of insult or 
oppression which my spirit could not brook. 

The next week brought with it Mr. H , a tall, broad- 
shouldered, weather-beaten visaged old man of seventy years, 
and one whose sturdy frame seemed fully equal to the task of 
breasting the storms of seventy more. He had been a sailor 
in his younger days, which accounted for the strong tinge of 
bronze in his complexion. Mild blue eyes, out of the corners 
of which a merry twinkle escaped when anything particularly 
pleased him, a nose of the Grecian order, with a well-formed 
mouth and chin, and a high and massive forehead, formed a 
daguerreotype at once pleasing and handsome ; and had it not 
been for the unfortunate initiative I had passed through, my 
stay with them might have been less brief, and more pleasant 
to all concerned. 

Mr. H saluted me kindly, expressing himself sorry 

that anything unpleasant had occurred. He hoped I was 
convinced by this time that my escape was impossible, giving 
me to understand that I should be well watched, and finished 
by promising me at the expiration of six months a pair of red- 
top boots if I behaved myself. I was astonished at the infor- 
mation of the gentleman's intended generosity, and in reply 
told him that I would willingly do without the present, 
provided I was allowed to return to my home and friends. 
To this he objected, telling me that I was to remain and live 



40 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

with him until I was twenty-one years of age, for such was 
the substance of an agreement between himself and my friends. 
But he omitted the proviso which I afterwards found had 
accompanied the agreement, namely, that my own feelings 
were to be consulted at the expiration of a month. I like- 
wise found he had visited my mother the day before he left 
B — — , and related such a tale of my happiness and content- 
ment, that the good woman w r as overjoyed. 

My master, as I must now call him, gave me information 
of the fact that he intended to remain at home, and keep a 
tavern and manage his farm himself, and that I should be 
employed under his immediate supervision. This arrangement 
I did not at all like, as it would prevent any attempt to escape, 
at least for the present ; but there w r as no alternative, so I 
endeavored to submit with a good grace, and for some time 
things went on very smoothly, with the only exception that I 
continued to be flogged for every little circumstance, whether 
of fault or remissness, which they pleased to consider out of 
order. Many of these castigations were gratuitously procured 
for me by the grandchildren, who had barely to affirm that I 
refused to comply with any of their demands, to subject me to 
a scourging. I have no hesitation in saying that the skin upon 
my back doubled during the first six months of my service, 
owing to my repeated flagellations, and my feelings became 
hardened and depraved in a corresponding ratio. It was about 
the middle of autumn when I w r ent to live with this family, 
and during the first six months that I was with them I had 
written several letters to my mother, which, at the request of 

Mr. H , were given into his charge to be forwarded home. 

These, I have reason to believe, were mostly destroyed ; for 
nearly all the information my friends received in regard to me, 
was through the medium of the sons of the old man, who 

were in business in B . This accounted for the fact that no 

notice was taken of my complaints, in the letters which I 
received from home. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 41 

There was one feature connected with my service here in 
which I took much delight : this was the cod and bass fishery, 
which afforded me much sport, though generally at the ex- 
pense of a great deal of suffering from cold and wet weather. 

The whole stock of clothing I had brought from B 

answered very well for the city, but could hardly be considered 
suitable for the cold and stormy winds of Cape Cod in the 
fall and winter months, especially as I was of a slight and 
delicate frame ; but during some fifteen months that I remained 
with Mr. H , not one single article of clothing was pro- 
cured for me, if I except a strong pair of cowhide shoes, and 
these were not provided until I was in imminent danger of 
having my feet frozen. Hastily throwing on my scanty clothing 
at the hoarse call of my master, we would sally forth about 
two o'clock in the morning, during the months of November 
and December, when the bay was not frozen over, and making 
our way to the creek where our boat was anchored, we would 
sail or row some seven or eight miles to the fishing-ground ; 
and frequently, ere the eastern horizon was lit by the early 
dawn, we would have our boat half-loaded with cod, haddock, 
and dog-fish, the latter considered useless save for the oil 
extracted from the liver. The fishing generally became poor 
by ten o'clock, at which time we would raise our anchor and 
return home. The rest of the clay would be occupied with 
cleaning our fish, salting, etc., and digging clams (which 
abounded all along the coast) for bait. These occupations I 
enjoyed the more, as they served to keep me from what I 
believe I have once before called home; not that I wish it to be 
inferred that I considered it a home to me, though it appeared 
to be the only one I had for the present. During the severer 
winter months I was employed in drawing wood with an ox- 
team, my master chopping and loading the wood; and on some 
of the more stormy days I was allowed either to shell corn, or 
sometimes, as an especial favor, to read to the family in the 
books which my mother from time to time sent me. 

4* 



42 WILD OATS SOWINGS, 

In this way passed the winter months. Spring brought all 
my former hard work, but the labors were now in a two-fold 
proportion heavier than those of the previous fall ; and to 
make matters worse, if I did not accomplish as much work as 
they thought possible, I was voted lazy, and got flogged for 
my alleged delinquency. No exertion on my part sufficed to 
please, or to draw one encomium from them. 

In the spring, when the time came to set out cabbage- 
plants, my master not having provided them by sowing the 
seed, I heard him express a wish that he could procure some. 
During the day a neighbor asked me if we had any. I told 
him we had not. " Come with me," said he, "and I will give 
you some for your master. I know that he will be pleased 
with them." I was at the time hoeing the young corn, 
according to directions. Taking it for granted that in this 
instance at least I should gratify my master, I laid down my 
hoe and accompanied the man to his house, distant about half 
a mile, where he gave me about eighty fine healthy plants. 
The day was fair for setting them out, and I hurried back, 
having been gone about an hour. Before I reached the field I 
discovered the old man at work hoeing corn, and was calcu- 
lating upon the agreeable surprise I had in store for him. 
I advanced stealthily until I got quite close, when, looking up, 
he perceived me. Turning quickly, he demanded where I had 
been. I told him the whole story in as few words as possible ; 
but ere I could finish he struck the plants from my hand with 
the hoe-handle, and for a moment I really thought he was 
determined to murder me. The old man was a strong Method- 
ist; but the loud and frightful curses which accompanied his 
blows, convinced me of the quality of his Christianity, at 
least. Having vented his wrath upon me, he turned and 
went leisurely to work to pick up the plants, calling me to 
assist in the operation. Sore and bruised, I complied with his 
orders ; but my outward pains were nothing compared with 
those feelings of hate and revenge which raged within, and I 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 43 

intentionally broke every plant which I touched. This he 
soon discovered, and I was forced to submit to another dose 
of the hoe-handle, which left me sore for a week, indeed I may 
well say, for a month. 



CHAPTER IV. 



My soubriquet — Profanity — Miss P. 's tracts — The germ engrafted — After- 
effects — Mr. H.'s standing — His peculiar gift and accompaniment — The 
value of a soul — Alter my plans — Determine to escape by land — Fears 
— Tavern-keeping — Pumping — Advent of the pious negro — His recep- 
tion and entertainment — "Nigger" excites the pity of the negro — His 
departure followed by mine — The ice — Crossing the bay — The embayed 
brig — The ship-keeper — His kindness — Arrive at Orleans — The colonel 
and the baker — Catch a weasel asleep — The old negro's superior 
tactics — Reconnoitering — All right — My dream and its results. 

This was but one instance of the manner of treatment 
which I received from this man. Many others of a like nature 
occurred continually, and I solemnly believe that I should have 
been subjected to the same punishment had I refused the man's 
offer in the aforementioned matter of the plants. At the house, 
the common name by which I was addressed by the younger 
scions of this worthy family was " nigger" in derision of my com- 
plexion, which was a healthy brown. Under the continually 
aggravated state of feeling in which I may say I existed, I had 
learned to use very profane language ; and it will not be wan- 
dered at, considering the examples I had before me. This, 
it appeared, was a source of trouble to the daughter of the 
old man, whom I have spoken of before as having used me 
kindly after my first scourging. She did not speak to me upon 
the subject, but procured a number of tracts treating of the 
awful consequences of that most vile habit, which she placed 



44 WILD OATS SOWINGS 

in my bands with a look of so much sweetness, requesting me 
to read them, that I could not decline. I did try at first to 
refuse them, but the soft, gentle tones of her voice, as she said, 
" I will pray for you," fell so soothingly upon my ear, long ac- 
customed only to vituperation and outrage, that my hand invol- 
untarily seized the books, and not only that, but I read them ; 
and although they failed at that time to produce their influence, 
yet their counsels were, like the hidden things of God, faithfully 
impressed upon the memory. That kindly heart has ceased to 
beat : she has gone to her reward. Long years of a more than 
ordinarily chequered life spent in strife, folly, and sin, have 
passed away into eternity, leaving nothing but regret and self- 
reproach as their recompense ; yet when but a short time ago 
I was told of her decease, the circumstance came fresh upon 
my mind, bringing vividly before me her pleading countenance 
as she sought, unknown to her friends, with looks and words 
of love, to cheer and comfort the oppressed and friendless boy. 
My heart sank coldly within me; and although not given to 
the melting mood, the tears of a grateful remembrance came 
forth unbidden, for memory was busy with the past. Nearly 
three years have passed, and I have not used a profane word 
since, and have not ceased to condemn it, by word and exam- 
ple, in every place. I do not wish to be understood that I lay 
claim to any superior merit in this, but would rather ascribe 
all the praise and glory to Him who has enabled me to fulfill 
my vow. Surely, the prayer of that pleading angel has been 
answered. The lips which uttered it have returned to their 
parent dust, but their fervent aspirations to God are inscribed 
upon the bright pages of heaven's recording angel, a landmark 
of immortality. Peace to her ashes ! 

My master, as I have before said, was a strong Methodist — 
at least, in his profession, though he fell far short of the 
practice, as the reader has already discovered. He was also a 
prominent class-leader, famous for his edifying exhortations 
and long prayers. This was likewise the case with his wife. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 45 

They were very attentive to the duties of family worship, at 
which I was required to be present: but I must not forget to 
state that none of the rest of the family attended, with the 
exception of Miss P . We often had prayer and class- 
meetings at the house, at which the "sarpent" was likewise 
allowed to attend. But I was never permitted to go to church 
or Sabbath-school during my sojourn with them. They could 
not deny that I possessed a soul, but they seemed to think 
it not worth the saving. After church, upon Sundays, I was 
usually in the house to hear my master read and expound some 
portion of the sacred volume — a faculty which he prided him- 
self upon possessing in an eminent degree. These expositions 
were always profusely interlarded with ejections of tobacco- 
juice, which he appeared to think gave a peculiar emphasis to 
his remarks ; and I often wondered within myself how a man 
professing to love his God. and his neighbor as himself, as 
he always did, could treat with such indignity and oppres- 
sion a friendless boy, (made so by his machinations,) for no more 
worthy object than the advancement of his own worldly inte- 
rests. He had grandsons — stout, sturdy fellows, capable of 
performing thrice the labor I could ever hope to accom- 
plish ; yet these fellows were allowed to lounge about, exer- 
cising their mechanical genius in whittling out little models of 
fishing-smacks, or sailing them upon the neighboring ponds: 
but they wanted a drudge to perform their slavish biddings, 
and at the same time to be the butt for the young tribe to 
exercise their shallow wits upon, and for this purpose I was 
procured. How well I suited their views thus far, I leave the 
reader to judge. 

I had now fully determined to make my escape by land, as 
all my hopes of being able to do so by sea were ended, by the 
injunction my master had given to the captains of the packets. 
For this purpose I procured a map of the State ; and after 
carefully studying the direction I was to take, I committed 
to memory the names of the towns and villages through 



46 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

which I should have to pass before I reached B . My whole 

stock of money consisted of three 12^-cent pieces, which had 
been sent to me by my mother at as many different times. 
This fund I had secreted, as the old woman had coaxed me to 
buy snuff for her with the first remittance my mother had sent 
me, and which I naturally thought would tend to create a 
little more friendly feeling towards me : a very mistaken idea, 
however. 

The time passed heavily, as day after day wore away with- 
out any chance occurring which I could improve. The fall 
came, with its cares and labors. Being continually with the 
old man, who watched me with the untiring vigilance of a 
tiger ready to spring upon its prey, I was left with no other 
alternative but submission and patience. At length winter set 
in with unusual inclemency. The bay was early frozen over, 
thus ending for the season our fishing excursions. The packets, 
being firmly enclosed by the ice, ceased their trips. To hazard 
the journey of nearly one hundred miles, in the middle of 
January, through the snow, rain, and sleet, with scarcely a 
shoe to my foot, and without money or friends, seemed madness, 
and I had almost begun to despair of getting away ; when the 
advent of a new character upon the family stage, and some 
circumstances connected with him, turned the balance in favor 
of the trial. 

This person appeared in the shape of a stout negro, who 
had belonged to a vessel which had been wrecked near Pro- 
vincetown, which forms the extreme point of the Cape. I 
have before mentioned the expressed intention of my master 
to keep a tavern, but I believe I forgot to note the fact that 
the intention was carried into effect, and that before the door 
of the house swung the sign conveying the information to the 
weary traveler, that within might be found entertainment for 
man or beast. The most of the business in this line, however, 
pertained to the summer, when numbers of' the city people 
resorted to the Cape to enjoy the sport of shooting peeps and 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 47 

seagulls ; but in the winter there were but few guests at the 
tavern. Now and then a solitary straggler on foot would stop 
for the night to rest his wearied limbs : this, however, was 
so seldom the case, that its occurrence seemed to form no in- 
significant epoch in the history of our winter evenings ; and 
the unfortunate wight was so thoroughly cross-questioned by 
the time he retired for the night, that it would be hard to tell 
which knew most about his business, himself or his inquisitors, 
especially if he was disposed to be at all communicative. 

This negro stopped at the house ; and stating the fact that 
he was a distressed person, to my great surprise they consented 
to let him remain through the night. During the evening they 
discovered their guest was a Methodist, and from that moment 
he appeared to be doubly welcome. They got him to pray and 
sing, etc., and ere he retired to rest, an invitation was given 
him to remain and recruit himself for two or three days, which 
invitation was duly accepted. The arrangement was likewise 
made, that he should attend a prayer and class meeting the 
two following nights, which was of course agreed to. I 
considered the negro quite an important personage, for I 
really believed that he was a good Christian ; but judge my 
surprise and dismay, when, upon retiring to rest, I discovered 
the darkey in my bed, snoring away an accompaniment to the 
gale that was blowing outside the house. I immediately 
returned to the kitchen, and asked if I was to sleep with the 
negro. " Yes," almost yelled the old woman, "don't you think 
the nigger is as good as you are? Go along to bed." This 
was too much, but I was obliged to bear it ; so, returning to 
the chamber, I took some bedclothes and laid down upon the 
floor without undressing — a manoeuvre which cost me a flog- 
ging in the morning. Miss P was away from home, so 

I had no one to pity me but the negro, who expressed himself 
so kindly that I truly believed him, and I subsequently had 
other proof of his sincerity. 

The two following days passed. The negro, in the mean- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

while, had become a great favorite, and had he chosen, he 
might have taken up his residence for the winter at the hostel. 
My master and mistress were so infatuated with the pious 
volubility which he displayed, that they introduced him to all 
their relatives and acquaintances as a remarkable monument 
of the Divine mercy. The story of his conversion and experi- 
ence was told over and over, to the great edification of the 
Capesters, until, as the poor fellow told me himself, he was 
afraid that his jaws would be worn out. At the prayer and 
class meetings he reigned supreme. The lead was conceded to 
him by all without exciting the least displeasure ; while the 
people flocked from far and near to hear the pious exhortations 
of Uncle Tom's negro, which it was acknowledged surpassed 
all that had ever before been heard in that locality. 

But I will pursue the negro upon another track. The morn- 
ing came for him to take his farewell of his new-found 
friends. It was a bright and sunny morning toward the end 
of January, but as yet the air was very chilly. The guest, after 
uniting in prayer for the last time with the family, bid them 
an affectionate good-bye, not without receiving some pecuniary 
assistance from the hands of my master — the proceeds of a 
small collection which had been taken up among the members 
of the Methodist Society. Outside of the house he bade me 
take care of myself, and with a kind " God bless you," he 
hobbled away upon his journey. The poor fellow had been so 
unfortunate as to have his feet frozen, and he consequently 
made but slow progress. My master, who had lately had a 
severe attack of pleurisy, kept himself snugly housed the most 
of the time, and I came to the conclusion that now or never 
was the chance. The negro had told me the course he 

should take, which was across the head of the bay to E , 

upon the ice, and I concluded that I could easily overtake 
him, and by that means obtain company for the space of time 
it would take for me to get beyond any part of the country 
where I might possibly be recognized. I thought I might pass 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 49 

very well for a shipwrecked sailor-boy, if I could only get the 
negro to consent to the deception. With this intention I started 
off, and as soon as I got out of sight of the town, I ran as fast 

as I could until I got some four or five miles from W , 

upon the ice. Between W and E a brig, which had 

been driven into the bay by stress of weather, had been shut in. 
Upon arriving alongside, I discovered my old colored friend 
talking to another negro, who it appeared was both cook and 
shipkceper, the captain, officers, and crew having left the vessel 
on account of having their hands and feet frozen. My black 
friend, after expressing his surprise at seeing me so far from 
home, at the same time informing his friend of our previous 
acquaintance, concluded by saying he believed I was running 
away. I gave him to understand that such was the case, 
and requested that he would let me keep company with him 
until we were off the ice. To this he at length unwillingly 
consented, upon my assurance that no one would ever think 
of pursuing me in that direction, in which request I was sup- 
ported by the cook. 

After partaking of some hot cocoa, which was kindly 
tendered for our refreshment, we started upon our journey to 
a distant point of the bay, just discernible from the deck of the 
brig, and which proved to be a part of the town of Orleans, 
where we arrived just at nightfall. After landing upon terra 
firma once more, my black friend positively insisted that I 
must not accompany him any farther, alleging as a reason, that 
if I was pursued and caught in his company, he should be 
likely to get into trouble. I could not but acknowledge the 
justice of his fears, although, for my own part, I began to feel 
quite safe. I therefore left him, mutually wishing each other 
good luck ; and being a fast walker, I arrived first at the 
tavern where I proposed to stop for the night. 

At my first entrance to the bar-room, things looked rather 
doubtful to me. During the previous fall, the regimental 
muster of the military district — which, it appeared, included 

5 



50 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

this place — was held in the town of W ; and my master's 

tavern, which, as usual, formed the nucleus of the martial 
forces, was generally resorted to by all who attended either 
from duty, interest, or pleasure. The officers of the gallant 
regiment, in particular, partook of a sumptuous dinner pre- 
pared for the occasion, under the especial supervision of the 
lady of mine host. In the person of the landlord of the 
Orleans hotel, to my dismay, I discovered the gallant colonel 
who commanded upon that memorable day. But I had gone 
too far to recede — his eye had fallen upon me : so, stepping up 
to where he was, I demanded if I could be accommodated with 
lodgings for the night. After eyeing me for a moment with a 
mingled look of curiosity and uncertainty, he informed me 
that I could have all I desired in that respect, and I turned 
away. As I did so, the words, "Where the devil have* I seen 
that boy before V fell musingly from his lips, pronounced loud 
enough, however, to be heard by the men clustered around the 
fire; one of whom arose, and offering his chair, revealed 
another face which was fresh upon my memory. It was that 
of a baker, who had attended the muster to dispose of a load 
of cakes and crackers, and whom I had obliged in assisting in 
caring for his horses. Stepping up to the landlord with a 
laugh, " I '11 tell you," said he. Without appearing to take 
any notice of what was said, I went on stripping off my 
stockings, which, after wringing, I hung upon a nail in the 
jamb of the fireplace, breathlessly listening all the while, lest 
a single word should escape me. "I'll tell you: it's old 

H 's boy. Don't you recollect him down at the^nuster 

last fall?" "You 're right; that's the talk. I remember well 
now," said the colonel, at the same time slapping his thigh to 
give force to his language. They continued their conversation 
for some time longer in an under-tone, during which I 
was upon nettles, as their glances were frequently directed 
towards me. 

I sat with my eyes closed; and being tired, was falling 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 51 

asleep, when a sudden nod aroused me, just in time to hear the 
colonel say, " Well, Joe, you are going that way to-morrow ; 
suppose you take him back." I was now wide awake ; but I 
scarcely breathed, when I heard the other respond, " Well, he 
is not very heavy : I guess I will. Perhaps I may make some- 
thing out of the job," About the same time there was a 
certain personage present who guessed that he (the baker) would 
not make enough out of it to make him rich. With these kind 
intentions in his mind, he approached, and laying his hand 
on my shoulder, upon the instant with a well-feigned start I 
roused myself and looking up into his face, asked what he 
wanted. " Don't be frightened," said he, "no one will hurt 
you : we've met before somewhere." I said I thought I had 
seen him before. u Well," said he, " are you going to stop here 
to-night T* I answered in the affirmative. " Well, come/* 
said he, " I '11 give you some supper for old acquaintance sake." 
I accepted his kind offer, wondering within myself whether he 
would ever get his pay for it out of my late master. I was 
very hungry, and fell to with a good will upon the edibles ; and 
after satisfying my hunger and thanking # my new-found 
" friend," I resumed my former place at the bar-room fire. In 
passing from the dining-room through the kitchen, I discovered 
my late traveling companion seated at a small table, industri- 
ously engaged in the process of stowing away sundry good 
things, of which a plentiful supply appeared upon the table. 
The old fellow, with a better display of tactics than I possessed, 
had stormed the castle in the rear, a circumstance which I 
afterwards did not fail to improve to good account. 

Upon retiring for the night, I was careful to reconnoitre 
the plan of the house, with an eye to the possibility of 
leaving it at the hour I thought would best suit my conve- 
nience. This I found corresponded with my plan. There were 
two beds in the chamber in which I was to sleep, one of which 
was occupied by my sable friend, whose tremendous snore 
denoted the healthy action of his respiratory organs. This 



52 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

was lucky for me, as otherwise, being very tired, I should have 
overslept myself. Long and soundly I slept, in spite of all 
the noise which rang through the chamber. I was dreaming 
I was on board of a ship, and was endeavoring to climb to the 
top of the highest mast, and was about to succeed in accom- 
plishing the feat. Though nearly exhausted, my hand was 
already outstretched to grasp the truck, when my limbs sud- 
denly becoming paralyzed, I lost the power of supporting my 
weight, and down, down, I fell with a crash upon the deck. 
I sprang upright in the bed, and for a moment could hardly 
believe I was in the land of the living, when the opening of a 
door which led into another chamber, revealed the person of 
the hostler of the tavern, with a light in his hand, and a 
countenance indicative of alarm. Casting his eyes around, he 
demanded sharply, "What is the matter here?" I looked 
toward the other bed. The negro, encased in a half-dozen 
quilt3 and blankets, from which, with a profusion of grunts 
and groans, he was slowly unrolling himself, lie upon the 
floor. I jumped out of bed, and pulling on my pants, assisted 
the poor old dafkey to set himself to rights, and then told the 
hostler I did not want to sleep any more. As he said he was 
about to make fire in the bar-room and kitchen. I agreed to 
help him; to which he assented, and we descended to the 
kitchen together. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 53 



CHAPTER V. 

Dennis — The good farmer — Continue my journey — The inn at Hanover 
— The maniac — A scene — Departure — Quincy — Arrive at home — Re- 
ception—State of feeling in regard to former wishes — Evil tendency 
of parental dislike to their sons becoming sailors — Reflections — The 

alternative — Lieut. Commandant D e — The Corvette — Reception 

on board — The middy — Employments of the men on board — The gen- 
eral exercise — All hands to witness punishment — The incorrigible — 
Reflections on flogging in the navy — Honor to whom honor is due — I'm 
bluffed off— The fishing-smack — Good times — Mount Desert — What 
was done there — The fountain of supplies for our navy in war time — 
The fleet breaks up — A stroke of good luck. 

A good opportunity offering, I soon improved it, and started 
forward upon my journey, and ere it was broad daylight I was 
in the village of Dennis. Here I got my breakfast at the house 
of a farmer, who, after I had resisted all his endeavors to induce 
me to stay with him until the spring, engaged me to deliver a 
letter at the office of the Barnstable Patriot, for which service 
he gave me a half-dollar. Thanking these kind people, I again 
resumed my tramp. To make up for the time I had lost in 
waiting for my breakfast, I hurried forward like a frightened 
deer. The traveling was wretched, the ground under-foot 
being covered to the depth of five to six inches with snow ; and 
my shoes were filled with water ere I had walked the first 
dozen yards in the morning. 

I passed through Barnstable at noon, stopping only long 
enough to deliver the letter, as I had promised ; and when night 
fell, I found myself at the door of a tavern half-way between 
Barnstable and Plymouth. This tavern was kept by English 
people, and from their conversation I learned that they had 
been Cornish miners. I think the town I was now in was 
called Hanover. Of this, however, I will not be certain. The 
strange dialect of these people surprised me. I had never 

5* 



54 WlLD OATS SOWINGS. 

before met with any foreigners — that is, with any who could not 
speak English — and their language fell upon my ear harsh and 
discordant. Besides these there was a woman, a sister of the 
landlord, who was insane. This person was allowed to roam 
at will over the house, and continually kept her tongue in 
motion in the same idiom, but in louder and still less pleasing 
tones. This person, in answer to my inquiries, I learned was 
often very refractory j and they frequently found it necessary to 
use harsh means to keep her within bounds, as during the more 
violent paroxysms of her insanity she was disposed to be mis- 
chievous. This information did not tend to make me feel at 
ease ; although the people of the house, who saw I was afraid 
of her, told me not to be alarmed, for she would not molest 
me. She was a tall, stout, dark-featured woman, (and I may 
here remark that the whole family were very dark in their 
complexion,) and when I could get a glimpse of her features 
when they were calm and composed, I thought her very hand- 
some. From the moment I had entered the house she had 
watched me constantly, and several times endeavored to ap- 
proach to my side, when the sharp voice of some of the family 
would make her spring back with the agility of a cat. Joined 
to this source of terror, was the dark and gloomy appearance 
of the room and its furniture, dimly lighted by a couple of 
smoky tallow candles, whose blaze only served to render the 
darkness more visible. 

All these circumstances conduced to raise such an excite- 
ment in my mind that I burst into tears. Upon their inquiring 
what was the matter, I disliked to state the real cause ; so, as 
an excuse, I told them that I had not had anything to eat since 
morning. H Never mind that, my boy, you shall have some 
supper in a moment." Meanwhile, all the accounts I had ever 
read of lone travelers having been murdered at roadside inns 
came fresh upon my memory ; and as if this were not enough, 
the thought of my utter loneliness came upon my mind with 
tenfold force. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 55 

At length the supper smoked upon the table, and I was 
invited to sit down and partake of it. Between the landlord 
and I, sat the crazy woman, who, now that she was by my side, 
— a proximity which I did not much relish, — seemed much 
pleased. She did not eat, but kept her eyes fixed upon my 
face. At length she ventured to stroke my hair gently, a pro- 
ceeding which fairly made my blood curdle. " Why, Poll, who 
have you got there ?" said the landlord, addressing the poor 
creature. She looked up in his face, and bursting into tears, 
rose from the table without saying a word, and took a seat in 
the corner of the room, from which she never moved during 
the evening. The rest of the conversation at the supper-table 
Was carried on in their own peculiar dialect. How much of it 
had reference to me I am unable to say, but their looks were 
frequently directed towards me, 

I retired to rest early, but it was a long time before I could 
sleep. Tired nature at length asserted her supremacy, and 
after a profound slumber, which lasted uninterruptedly until 
nine o'clock the next morning, I arose refreshed and vigorous. 
Upon descending to the kitchen, I found my breakfast waiting 
for me ; after partaking of which, I offered my entire stock of 
money in payment. But, with all their uncouthness, they were 
not people of that sort. They laughed at the offer of money 
from me, and bidding me good-bye, with many kind washes for 
a successful termination of my journey, I left them ; not, how- 
ever, without inquiring for the poor lunatic, who I now missed. 
The good man, evidently grieved, said he had been obliged to 
shut her up, for fear she would make trouble. I ventured to 
inquire the cause of her insanity, at which, shaking his head, 
he told me that I was yet too young to understand it ; and 
once more bidding me good-bye, I again set forth upon my 
tedious journey, stopping only to get my dinner at a farm-house, 
where I was treated to the best the place afforded. 

I perseveringly continued on through a violent snow-storm, 
which set in about two o'clock ; and in spite of the cold wind 



56 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

which blew the snow full in my face, I reached F- h's 

Hotel, in the town of Quincy, at nightfall. Upon asking for 
accommodations, they demanded who I was, and where I came 
from. I simply told them all my little story, and I was assured 
I should be well cared for. The landlady told me there was 
to be a ball there during the night, and that I might go into 
the hall and see the dancing. I spent the evening very plea- 
santly, and at half-past twelve, having had a good supper, a 
bed of buffalo-robes was made in a corner of the bar-room, as 
all of the rooms in the house were full. I slept soundly until 
daylight, when I was awakened by a milkman, who had been 

especially commissioned to take me to B , by the people 

of the Hotel. 

It was eight in the morning when I arrived in the city ; 
and telling my kind friend, the milkman, that I could find the 
way home without any trouble, I jumped out of the sleigh and 
hastened to the house of a friend, who was also a distant rela- 
tive, where I was kindly received and welcomed. They had 
missed me for a long while, as I had frequently visited at their 
house previous to my residence at the Cape, and were not a 
little surprised at the story of my wanderings. They could not 
inform me where my mother lived, as they had not seen her 
for some time, but I learned that she had married again ; and 
after answering a number of questions which they put to me 
in relation to what instruction I had received, and whether I 
had attended Sabbath-school regularly or not, I started off to 
find where my mother lived. This I soon succeeded in doing. 
She was very much surprised to see me, and was still more 
distressed when she heard the account of my ill-treatment. 
She commended the course I had taken in leaving, at all 
hazards, my late situation, and hoped I had given up my de- 
sire for roving. I told her candidly that my inclinations still 
led me that way, and after some expostulation upon her part, 
she consented to let me gratify my own inclination — a course 
which every parent would do well to imitate in similar cases. 



)YILD OATS SOWINGS. 57 

The life of the sailor, although exposed to danger and con- 
tinually recurring hardship, has its many enjoyments, which 
are not a little heightened by the remembrance of past perils 
and privations. There has ever appeared to be with parents a 
strange antipathy to their children embracing the profession 
of the sailor. This, in former years, was in a great measure 
the cause of the low state of moral degradation to which that 
really noble class of men had fallen. The sailor's name had 
become a by-word and a reproach. Himself the object of scorn 
and derision, keenly sensitive to the wrong done him, in the 
spirit of bitterness, without a friendly hand stretched forth to 
aid him, he plunged deeper and deeper into the abyss of dis- 
sipation and recklessness; but even in this fallen state the 
nobler points in his character would predominate, casting far 
in the shade the boasted humanity of those who professed to 
despise him. The first cause, then, for this state of things, 
must be sought for in this disinclination of parents to their 
children becoming seamen. The boy inclined to the ocean, the 
parent opposed his wishes, using not only argument, but, when 
that failed, coercion was resorted to. The rod was put in 
requisition, as it was said, to curb an obstinate spirit, but in 
reality to break down and eradicate a noble ambition. The 
mind of the youth is not always, in these cases, cowed and 
subdued. There are many, and by far the nobler part of the 
class, who, smarting under their chastisement, their souls filled 
with bitterness and revengeful feelings at the injustice which 
has been done them, abscond from their homes, to which and 
its joys they are henceforth utterly lost. The course, then, to 
be pursued is obvious. Let the parent take the son, and 
placing him under the care of some good shipmaster of known 
humanity, (for unfortunately there are many of an opposite 
stamp — petty tyrants, who abuse the power which is conferred 
upon them by the laws of their country,) give him the oppor- 
tunity to decide by a practical experiment whether he will 
continue to adhere to the course he has laid down. By this 



58 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

means many youths are led to renounce their first determina- 
tion, and choose some other course in life ; while the former 
or contrary method cuts off all avenues to return, from fear of 
shame or chastisement. I hear many say that no youth of a 
truly noble mind would be influenped by such fears, and I 
would not deny that there are such ; but the reasoning powers 
of our youth, generally, come not thus early to maturity. 

It was about two months after my arrival at home, when 
my mother with tearful eyes placed in my hands a sealed note, 
directed, "Lieutenant D e, T 1 House," with an injunc- 
tion to deliver it into the hands of that officer. I accordingly 
repaired to his temporary place of residence ; and, sending in 
my name, was speedily admitted to the presence of a tall and 
remarkably fine-looking gentleman, in the uniform of the 
United States Navy, seated at a table, busily engaged in writ- 
ing. He looked up, and smilingly motioned to me to take a 
chair. I did so, holding the letter in my hand, while he con- 
tinued writing. In a few moments, which seemed to me as 
many hours, he finished and sealed his document, and rising, 
told me to follow him. He led the way to the noble portico 
of the building, at that time the pride of the city, as the first 
house of its class in America, where, turning to me, he remarked 
that he knew what my business was with him. " You wish to 
be a sailor," said he, kindly taking the note which I now ten- 
dered for his acceptance. I answered that I did. " Bather 
small," said he, breaking the seal ; " how old are you !" I 
answered that I was in my thirteenth year. "Are you pretty 
tough V 9 I told him I was. "Well," said he, after reading 
the missive, "come to me to-morrow : you will find me here. 
I will see to your fit-out. In the meantime, if you like, you 
may go on board and see your ship," giving me a note to the 
officer in charge of any boat belonging to the ship, which he 
told me always landed at Long Wharf. I made my best cong£ 

and left him. The ship, a fine corvette, the L n, lie at 

anchor in the stream, and I unwillingly deferred my proposed 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 59 

visit on account of the lateness of the hour. Eeturning home, 
I related to my mother and sisters, a dozen times over, all that 
had transpired ; but I found no one there to rejoice with me : 
all were silent, and from necessity I at length became so too. 

With the first beams of the sun I was up and dressed, ready 
to start upon my excursion to the ship as soon as I should get 
my breakfast, which I dispatched in a hurry ; when, seizing my 
hat, I proceeded to the wharf, where I found the ship's market- 
boat nearly ready to start. Delivering the note to the midship- 
man in command, he invited me to a seat in the boat, and in a 
few moments more, everything being ready, we cast off; and 
the cutter, urged through the still water by fourteen oars in 
the hands of as many sturdy Jack-tars, in a few moments 
reached the vessel, up the side of which I clambered, to the 
admiration of the boat's crew, a few of whom ventured to pro- 
phesy that I would make a smart seaman. Upon gaining the 
deck, I was struck with surprise at the order and extreme 
neatness pervading every part of the ship : the deck, which 
had just been cleaned, was of an almost snowy whiteness; the. 
long range of artillery upon each side of the ship, their black 
shining surfaces reflecting the sun's r,ays as from a mirror; the 
snugly furled sails ; the yards squared with true naval precision ; 
and the beautiful arrangement of the ropes, taughtened to a 
straight line and coiled flat upon the deck, gave, to my eyes, an 
air unique and grand, beyond any conception which I had ever 
indulged in. 

Upon making it known that I was to be attached to the 
ship during her intended cruise, I was taken in charge by a boy 
of about my own age and size, who accompanied me over the 
ship and explained the meaning and uses of everything which 
attracted my notice. My conductor sported a long, slender 
dirk, the insignia of his rank, which I greatly admired. He 
had already made a cruise in the " Old Ironsides," as our tars 
still familiarly term the Constitution frigate, of which he gave 
me a brief account, just at the conclusion of which the rolling 



60 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

of the drum attracted my attention. My companion started for 
the upper deck, calling to me to follow and take my station at 
the capstan. This I did, and in a moment the heavy batteries 
of the ship were manned, the marines drawn up in the gang- 
way, and the roll called. My presence on board was now 
noticed by the officer in command of the ship, who, upon learn- 
ing by what means I came on board, sent his steward into the 
cabin, where the note which I had before delivered to the offi- 
cer in the boat lie upon the table. It appears he had forgotten 
it. I believe at that time the rules of the service forbade the 
presence of strangers on board of our national vessels during 
the muster. The note was brought and duly read, and after a 
moment's study he said : " Well, young gentleman, you can 
remain if you wish." He returned to his duties, and I was 
gratified to see the entire ship's company go through all the 
manoeuvres of a sea-fight ; after which the drum beat the retreat 
from quarters, and the men, of whom there were near two 
huudred on board, dispersed themselves over the ship about 
their various duties or pleasures ; some making or mending 
clothes, others making hats, canvass slippers, etc. The car- 
penters, the coopers, and the sailmakers, commenced their 
several duties, and all was activity and life ; but so noiseless, 
that the lowest word of command from the quarter-deck was 
distinctly heard by all upon the deck. 

At twelve o'clock the drum rolled, and immediately after, 
the calls of the boatswain and his mates were heard. The drum 
signified to the crew that their grog was ready, (I believe now 
pretty generally dispensed with, to the great benefit of the 
service,) and the calls, or silver whistles, of the boatswain and 
his assistants summoned all hands to dinner. About two 
o'clock, p. m. the commander came on board. This officer was 
no other than my acquaintance of yesterday. Shortly after 
he arrived, the calls of the boatswain's mates were brought 
into requisition again, and the loud cry of " All hands to wit- 
ness punishment !" rang hoarsely through the ship, followed by 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 61 

the hurried shuffling of feet, as the men tumbled hastily up 
from below at the harsh summons. The marines were drawn 
up with fixed bayonets, and presently the prisoners were brought 
forth by the master-at-arms and the ship's corporal, whose duty 
it is to assist in preserving order in the ship. There were three 
of them, one of whom I knew was an old offender, from his 
looks, as he came along with a swaggering gait, totally un- 
moved at the sight of the preparations which were being made 
f<m his disgrace. The youngster who had been my guide in 
the morning, whispered in my ear, " That fellow cares no more 
for a catting than I would for a musquetoe-bite ;" and indeed I 
believe what he said was true. I have seen a great many men 
flogged with the " cat " since then, but I have never witnessed 
such perfect sang-froid as was exhibited by that man, who, 
while the blows cut the skin from his back, and the blood 
streamed in profusion, stood as unmoved as a marble statue ; 
exhibiting a power of endurance which I had read of, but never 
believed a human being could attain to. The other two prison- 
ers were more subdued, and even professed penitence ; and I 
surely believed and hoped they would be let off, as they plead 
so hard ; but the law was inexorable, and they were flogged 
with the same unfeeling rigor as the other one. 

This brutal exhibition totally destroyed all my former wishes 
to become an inmate of the floating palace, as I had named 
the ship, but now, to my notion, rather a pandemonium — the 
abode of fallen spirits. Strange, that the idea should ever enter 
the head of man, that the moral condition of his fellow-man 
could be elevated by disgracing him in such a barbarous way, 
driving out or breaking down every feeling of self-respect — in 
short, reducing him to the level of a brute. Thank heaven, 
efforts have since been made, and not in vain, to suppress this 
awful disgrace to manhood. All honor to the man who first 
raised his voice against the foul blot ! His fame shall be endur- 
ing, for the monument to his memory will be engraven on tho 
hearts of those whose just cause he has so nobly advocated. 

6 



62 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

I did not inform Capt. D • of the great change that had 

come over the spirit of my aspirations; for experience had made 
me cautious, and I did not know but that if I should exhibit 
the true state of my feelings, I might be detained on board — a 
proceeding which I should not relish. So after, in answer to 
his inquiries, I had expressed my satisfaction and pleasure at 
the visit I had made, he told me I could go on shore and get 
myself ready to join the ship, and to call upon him on the 
following morning. * 

That afternoon I finished by engaging myself on board of a 
fishing-smack belonging to Province town ; and as the sun dis- 
appeared, we left the wharf in B , and ere morning dawned 

we were running with a fair and fresh breeze past Race Point 
light, at the extremity of the Cape on which I had formerly 
lived, bound to the Bay of Fundy after mackerel, where 
those fish are mostly caught in the spring. By the way, I 

never saw Capt. D again. Our crew, who, including the 

"skipper/ 9 as the masters of these craft are usually termed, 
numbered eleven, men and boys, generally fine whole-souled 
fellows, were in the best of spirits. Our little bark was swift 
and stanch ; and fun and frolic, doughnuts and fried pies, with 
stories and good singing, made the time pass very pleasantly. 

The night of the first day of our trip proving stormy, we 
ran into the Cranberry Islands harbor, upon the coast of the 
island of Mount Desert. These were the highest mountains, 
or rather hills, I had ever seen. The next day, a gale of wind 
preventing the continuance of our voyage, I amused myself, in 
company with two others of the crew, in climbing to the top 
of one of the highest peaks in the neighborhood, and in gather- 
ing " golden-rod,' ' an herb which grew plenteously upon the 
mountain. 

There was a grog-shop upon the island, and there being 
about fifty sail of fishing-vessels in the harbor, the scene on 
shore in its immediate neighborhood was one continued carousal. 
On board of the vessels things wore a different aspect. Many 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. (J3 

of the smacks were lashed together, in some cases, seven and 
eight in a row. On board of these the more sedate and elderly 
fishermen assembled, and spent their time in prayer and class- 
meetings, in which exercises they appeared to unite with a 
becoming spirit. These people were mostly Methodists. This 
sect evidently constituted a large majority among the fishermen. 

We remained at Mount Desert two days, at the close of 
which, the gale having exhausted itself, the vessels all weighed 
anchor and sailed in company, our destination being mostly the 
same. During our stay in the harbor the various skippers had 
made arrangements for a little nautical manoeuvering, by pro- 
viding a Commodore, and arranging a code of signals, etc., by 
cutting up various old flags. In pursuance of this plan, to avoid 
confusion, the fleet hove up their anchors and made sail by 
divisions, each led by its appropriate chief. These, as they 
severally gained the outside of the harbor, "hove to," in nautical 
parlance — to balance the propelling and repelling power of the 
sails, that the vessel might remain stationary — until the whole 
were in their respective places ; when, at a signal from the 
Commodore, whose pendant waved from the mast-head of the 
leading vessel on the right of the two main divisions, the 
whole filled away in search of the enemy, who, could they 
have known of the preparations being made for their capture, 
I have no doubt would have vacated the waters of the Ameri- 
can coast. 

Our fleet of little vessels, with their sails of snowy white- 
ness, made a gallant display, each one having its flag and 
pendant streaming in the breeze. The foretopmast-head of the 
vessels of the sub-chiefs, each bearing the union-jack, with its 
azure field studded with stars, as the badge of their rank, 
formed a spectacle so novel and pleasing that all who witnessed 
it were delighted. The two centre divisions of twelve vessels 
each were flanked by a division of eight others, all maintaining 
a distance of about a quarter of a mile from each other, and 
moving with the utmost regularity. In this way we proceeded 



64 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



for an hour, wlien the vessel of the Commodore bore up for 
the right flank division, displaying the signal for the rear vessels 
to move forward into line. This was speedily accomplished 
by the leading ones trimming their sails in such a way as to 
lessen their speed. 

During the day many and various were the evolutions 
performed, to the amusement and instruction of all on board 
of our vessel, who, being young men, entered into the exercise 
with great spirit: but it seemed such was not the case on board 
of the others, for contrary to orders to show a light and keep 
company, they broke off during the night, and the morning 
light found but five of our fleet in company. Out of forty 
vessels, there were but twenty-two in sight, the most of whom, 
in imitation of Commodore Paul Jones' refractory captains, 
refused to obey the signals of their chief. We, however, 
remained true to our allegiance, following in company until we 
reached the Bay of Funcly ; where, not meeting with the success 
which we had anticipated, after cruising around to little pur- 
pose for a fortnight, we left, steering for the Isles of Shoals, 
which lie off the coast of New-Hampshire, trying very fre- 
quently for mackerel, by throwing overboard clam or fish-bait, 
which has been previously ground in a hand-mill used for 
that purpose, causing the fish to rise to the surface around the 
vessel. As yet we had not been fortunate enough to catch but 
two or three barrelfulls at a time ; but better luck was in store 
for us. Off Boon Island we raised a large shoal of the fish we 
were in quest of, and in one day we succeeded in capturing one 
hundred and twelve barrels of them. The sport was at first 
glorious; but it soon began to wear the aspect of hard work. 
I will endeavor to describe the process. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 65 



CHAPTER VI. 

xVlackerel fishing — Squalls — Gloucester — Visit my relatives — I change 
my berth — W. — My old master and his family — An offer to compound 
— Uncle Joe's bantering — Sharp thorns — The pedler adrift — New oc- 
cupation — The winter passage — Disaster — Arrive at home — Reception 

— I h — Again leave my friends — The boarding-house keeper — Ship 

on board of the S n — Under way for Charleston, S. C. — Our naval 

architects — Capt. H g — My first lesson — Caught in a fix — Despe- 
rate energy — Threatened with a flogging — Come out right — Mirth of 
passengers — All's well. 

The vessel being hove to, so that she becomes stationary, as 
far as the currents of the tide will admit, the fish are brought to 
the surface in the manner aforementioned, and the lines, (which 
have been previously arranged along the side of the craft,) each 
about eight or ten yards long, have at their end a strong hook, 
over the shank of which a sufficient quantity of lead has been 
run to sink the line readily. This instrument, which is called 
a "jig," is baited with a small piece cut out of the throat of 
the mackerel itself, of about the size of a shilling-piece, the 
white shiny surface of which instantly attracts the attention 
of the fish, upon being thrown into the water, and is as quickly 
seized. Two lines are assigned to each man, between which 
he stands, and on his right side is placed a barrel for the 
reception of the prey. The sport commences, the skipper 
dispensing the ground-bait with a lavish hand. The lines 
are thrown, and in the general scramble of the finny tribe to 
secure a portion, the more unlucky ones seize the glittering 
hook, and in an instant is transferred from his native element 
to the barrel upon deck. All is now hurry and bustle. There 
is no waiting for a bite : another fish is trying to run away 
with your line. Don't try to remove the hook from its mouth 
with your hands : holding the line about a foot from the jig, 
swing the fish over your hand, taking care that in its descent 

6* 



66 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

it comes in contact with the inside surface of the barrel. This 
never fails to disengage the hook, as the mouth of the mackerel 
is tender. The skin of the bait being very tough, a barrel of 
fish is frequently caught without the necessity of redbaiting. 

The rapidity with which the practiced fisherman throws 
and hauls his lines excites the astonishment of the uninitiated 
landsman, whose clumsy attempts to imitate the dexterity of 
the "old stagers" occasion not a little merriment; and the 
reader will therefore not be surprised, when I inform him 
that I did not fail to come in for my share of ridicule. But 
we were too well pleased with our good fortune to entertain 
any hard feelings on this account, and the work of destruction 
among the seemingly undiminished millions of fish, which at 
times fairly lifted each other out of the water, continued on 
uninterruptedly until the sun dipped his broad disc in the 
western horizon. At this time the deck of our little schooner 
was crowded with heaped-up barrels, while their interstices 
were likewise filled nearly to the top of the rail. Having no 
more room, we gave up fishing ; and after clearing a space, the 
work of cleaning and salting the fish commenced. This was 
mostly accomplished by candlelight ; but day broke long before 
it was finished, and for once in my life I was tired of sport. 

But as yet no one, save myself and a couple of others, 
novices in the business, thought of rest. The cook, however, 
was ordered to prepare breakfast, for we had not thought of 
eating since dinner the previous day. While the rest of the 
crew were summoned to their lines, during the process of clean- 
ing and salting, all of the fish which fell short of a certain size 
were thrown aside, to be ground into bait, which was again 
cast forth to entice the unwary inhabitants of the briny ele- 
ment, who had hitherto been lucky enough to escape capture. 
But our sport was nearly at an end. The fish had been so well 
fed the day before, in addition to the bait w T hich had been 
thrown over during the night to keep them around the vessel, 
that they were filled to satiety. As they would not bite, we 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 67 

did the next best thing, for which we all felt disposed, — that 
is, we dove into the cabin to take a bite on our own hooks, — 
not the aforementioned "jigs" though, by any means; in other 
words, we went to breakfast, each one grinding his own bait 
with a most excellent appetite. 

This necessary operation over, we again returned to our 
lines, where we in vain endeavored to provoke the enemy to an 
attack. During the forenoon, which was warm (the month of 
April) and beautifully calm, a number of what are called the 
mackerel- shark made their appearance ; and after driving away 
our shoal of fish ere we were aware of their proximity, one of 
them succeeded in getting no less than five "jigs," attached 
to as many lines, in his mouth. As his evident intention was 
to have made a clean sweep, the five "jigs " being as many as 
he could reach, — the forward line preventing his going any 
farther toward the stern, — the others, through his struggles to 
get loose, speedily became twisted in a stout line, which man- 
aged to hold his sharkship, in spite of all his efforts to escape. 
We soon had the intruder floundering upon our deck, much to 
his dislike. After examining the new comer, who was about 
four and a half feet in length, and who, by the way, displayed 
an ugly set of teeth, the men made a strong rope fast to him, 
and throwing him overboard, they amused themselves in the 
practice of throwing the lance, (an instrument used in killing 
the whale,) which at length' resulted in the death of the animal, 
after being nearly cut to pieces by these amateur whalemen. 

Towards evening, the breeze springing up, we made sail 
again, continuing our course homeward with but little farther 
success. Ere our voyage ended we paid a visit to the harbor 
of Cape Ann, or more properly Gloucester, where I knew I 
had some relatives, whom I soon found upon landing. They 
appeared very much surprised at my being so far from Boston, 
and evidently thought me a runaway. However, as there were 
none of the male portion of the family at home, I was allowed 
to take my departure the next morning, without molesta- 



68 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

tion. From them my mother and sisters found out the course 
I had taken ; and the occupation I was engaged in not being 
very dangerous, their minds were relieved, for the time, from 
any apprehensions on my account. 

I remained on board of this vessel until August, when, find- 
ing the companionship of those on board becoming tiresome, 
and the pay rather small, (six dollars per month,) I resolved to 
leave, which I could do at pleasure, as I had not engaged for 
any stipulated time. I was the more anxious to do this, 
because the skipper took it upon himself to require of me the 
performance of various duties about his house, when the smack 
was in port, and I had no inclination to try another residence 
upon the Cape. I therefore engaged on board of a Wellfleet 
smack for the rest of the season. In this vessel I made three 

trips, each very successful. My former master, Mr. £L , 

wisely forbore to molest me, or he would probably have caught 
a Tartar. 

October came, and near its close the fishing-season ceased, 
and I was paid off. I now thought I would make my olol friends 
a visit. This may to some appear strange ; but I was wild and 
reckless, and above all, I wished to play off some trick upon 
those who had ill-used me. Proceeding to the house, I sur- 
prised its inmates by entering. My reception strongly con- 
trasted with my former treatment. I was, at times, petted and 
flattered ; my health was kindly inquired about, and they begged 
to know how I had succeeded in regard to my summer's work, 
and whether I intended to follow the same business the next 
year. Finally, they requested an account of my journey the 
previous winter ; after relating which, they paid me a compli- 
ment, by pronouncing me a bold little fellow. The old man 
now hinted to me that he would like to have me remain with 
him through the winter — a hint immediately improved by the 
old lady, who enlarged upon the advantages of living with 
them during the winter, and having the time to myself in the 
fishing-season. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 69 

To all this I assented, as I knew I should have to remain 

in W" some days before I should be able to get a chance to 

leave for B . So, without actually consenting, I acknow- 
ledged the propriety of all they said, and told them I would 
stay and help them upon the morrow. This led them to think 
they had gained their point. Had tkey treated me as well 
before I left them as they did that night, and during the sub- 
sequent time I remained with them, I should never have gone 
away. The next morning I shouldered a hoe, and accompanied 
the old man to the potato-field. Upon the way we had to pass 
a house in which lived a brother of his. "Well, Tom, you've 
got your old boy back again. He ran away from you, didn't 
he?" This was said in a dry, jocose tone, as many of the 
neighbors took the liberty to make a great deal of fun of 
Uncle Tom. " Yes," responded that worthy, " but he says, he 
repented in dust and ashes before he got far." This was false, 
as I had never used such an expression. However, I said 
nothing, as I should have made little by interfering. "How 
long do you intend to keep him?" continued the inquisitor, 
laughing. " I've often heard of white men running off niggers, 
but I never heard of a nigger running off a white person before. 
By the way, Tom, do you recollect how the darkey prayed that 
his race might be relieved from their bondage to the whites ?" 
The old man nodded impatiently. " Well, he was a Christian 
nigger, that's a fact ; for he could not see any difference between 
a white nigger and a b^ack one." " Why, you don't call him a 
nigger, do you?" asked Uncle Tom, looking at me. " O no, not 
at all ; but things mostly take the shape we give them." This 
was said with a sly wink at me, and we passed on. The old 
man was sullen and silent for some time ; but at length he 

remarked, " Uncle F is rather sharp this morning ; but he 

will never be hung for his wit." 

This and the two following days were spent at my old occu- 
pations. During the third day not a little excitement was 
created by the arrival of a small sloop in the harbor, freighted 



70 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

with a rich cargo of drygoods, groceries, glass and iron ware, 
which were proffered by the master to the " Ccupesters" in 
exchange for either cash, old rags, iron, brass, copper or glass. 
Among the rest, I visited the little craft, and soon became 
acquainted with the proprietor, who was captain, cook, and 
all hands in his own parson. With him I struck a bargain to 

follow his fortunes until he should reach B , whither he 

intended to proceed, in case the weather should be too severe, 
by the last of November. In consideration of my services, I 
was to receive ten per cent, upon all sales I might effect while 
with him ; and, in addition, I was to receive two dollars per 
month as cook. I agreed to join the same evening, and for 
that purpose removed my clothing from the vessel on board of 
which I had been last employed, to the sloop, and repairing on 
hoard about dusk, was soon engaged in weighing out teas, 
sugars, etc , or in expatiating upon the merits of various articles 
of glass or iron ware, in which I discovered points of excellence 
which certainly no one else could find without the aid of spec- 
tacles. This business I soon managed to perform with great 
success ; and as my wages were to depend mainly upon it, I 
spared no pains to make a sale. When the trade became dull 
at any place where we stopped, I would fill a basket with light 
drygoods, and go to peddling upon shore, and in this way 
made many a dollar. 

The master of the sloop, Mr. O r, was an excellent 

man ; and although the weather was cold and inclement, we 
passed our time very pleasantly together. In the course of 
about two months we visited nearly every town upon the 
southern and western coast of Cape Cod, trading for everything 
out of which any profits would be likely to accrue, until the 
last day of December found us in the harbor of Provincetown, 
whence we intended to take our departure for Boston. 
Having supplied the wants of all the inhabitants of that place, 
as well as we were able, our stock of goods became nearly 
exhausted. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 71 

In the evening we weighed anchor, and with a strong east- 
erly breeze started upon our voyage home. The night closed 
in dark and stormy, and ere we had cleared the harbor we 
found it necessary to close-reef our sails. The sea was very 
heavy, and our little sloop, only twenty tons' burthen, deeply 
laden, appeared at times to be upon the point of foundering. 

The cold was also so intense, that had not Mr. O , who 

was stationed at the helm, been enabled to stand upon the cabin- 
stairs in a partially sheltered position, (the companion-way 
opening from the after-end of a slightly raised trunk upon the 
deck,) we should inevitably have perished. As I could be of 
no use on deck I remained in the cabin, where I kept a fire 
burning in a small stove, on which steamed a kettle of hot 
coffee, of which Mr. O frequently partook, while I re- 
lieved him at the helm. 

About midnight a heavy sea struck our little bark full upon 
the broadside, filling the deck with water ; and as it came rush- 
ing down in the cabin, which was half filled before the skipper 
could get the doors closed and the slide drawn over, I thought 
we were going to the bottom : but the little sloop was not to 
be lost so easily. Presently the slide was pushed back, and I 

heard O 's voice summoning me to the helm. I sprang 

to the steps and jumped upon deck. Giving me the helm, he 
made his way forward, where I could see a large white object 
floating upon the waves, the jerking of which threatened every 
moment to tear the bow from the hull. This was our jib, 
(the triangular shaped sail at the fore part of a vessel,) which 
had been struck by a wave, tearing away the stay, and leaving 
the sail jerking and plunging furiously at the end of the bow- 
sprit. Luckily, with the disaster came a change of weather, 
and already when I reached the deck the gale had disappeared 
as if by enchantment, and in five minutes more it had sunk to 
a gentle breath, barely perceptible. The little bark rolled 
about, to our great discomfort, as we were afraid that our mast, 
from the loss of the head-stay, would go by the board. A low, 






72 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



clear line of blue sky, occasioned by the lifting of the dark, 
murky clouds, now appeared on the north-western horizon, 
gradually increasing in size as the storm-clouds retreated before 
it, their heavy masses piled one upon another as if in defiance 
of a foe against whose power it were vain to contend ; until 
the whole azure field, glittering with its myriads of stars, fell 
upon our vision. Not a trace was left of the short-lived storm, 
save in the wild commotion of the sea and the partial wreck 
of our little vessel. With my assistance the jib was secured 
after a great deal of exertion, and the wind, contrary to our 
expectations, not increasing beyond a smart breeze, and Boston 
light being in plain sight from our deck, we shook the reefs out 
of our mainsail ; and the vessel, not much retarded by the loss 
of her head-sail, again bore us rapidly onward to our homes. 

We arrived at the wharf about noon. It was Sunday, and 
I thought the bells of the churches never sounded half so music- 
ally to my ears as they did that day, while putting everything 
in order before leaving the vessel. It was dark before I reached 
my home. I felt sad : my heart upbraided me wdth being 
undutiful to the mother who so dearly loved me, and I inwardly 
promised myself that I would try to conquer my desire for 
roving, if it were possible. With these good resolutions in my 
mind I reached my long-abandoned home, and entering with- 
out any ceremony, I found myself confronting a bridal-party, 
who only awaited the arrival of the minister to tie the knot. 
The pleasure of all, by whom I was gladly welcomed, was not 
a little enhanced by my unexpected appearance. My mother, 
it seems, had but a few moments before remarked that only one 
more was wanted to make the party complete, it having assem- 
bled to witness the nuptials of my eldest sister, which I will 
merely say passed off to the satisfaction of all concerned. 

I was now sent to school, a measure to which I reluctantly 
consented. My mind, in spite of all my former good resolutions, 
still turned wistfully to the ocean, careless of every other consid- 
eration* I was now past my thirteenth year, of a slight, withy 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 73 

frame, which at that time gave but little promise of being 
capable of enduring the hardships I afterwards experienced. 
My features were pale and attenuated, and people very 
frequently made the remark in my hearing, that I was not 
destined to see manhood; yet my health was excellent, my 
frame hardy, probably from my former beatings, and within 
me was an iron will, bent upon accomplishing any point which 
I had in view, and carrying to an extreme a determination to 
oppose, at all hazards, any efforts made from any source to 
curtail my liberty. 

After remaining at school about a year in B , I was 

sent to I h, a beautiful town situated about twenty-eight 

miles north-east of B . But even here I could not content 

myself for any length of time, and once I came very near being 
drowned in the river which runs through that place. In 

August of this year I left I h, unknown to my friends and 

master, and proceeded to B , where I visited my mother 

and sisters, who thought I had permission to do so from my 
instructor. After staying with them two days, I departed and 
went to board with a Mr. Shaw, who kept a seaman's board- 
ing-house in North Square. This man agreed to find me a 
vessel, and fulfilled his promise a few days after by taking me to 

sign the articles of the ship, S n, then running between 

Boston and Charleston, S. C. 

I was now about to attain the height of my ambition ; that 
is, to make a voyage in a ship — a regular " square-rigger," as I 
had learned to call it. I joined the vessel immediately, as she was 
upon the point of sailing, and made myself both active and useful ; 

so much so, as to call forth the encomiums of Capt. H g, the 

commander. In the afternoon, everything being ready, the top 
and topgallant sails of the ship were loosed and sheeted home, 
the yards mastheaded, the fastenings cast off, and the vessel glided 
into the stream and commenced her voyage. We had a large 
number of passengers on board, many of whom were ladies, 
who were all upon the quarter-deck, watching with great 

7 



74 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

interest the manner of getting the ship under way. The royals 
were loosed and set. The courses dropped, the jibs, fore, main 
and mizzen trysails (the latter commonly called a spanker) were 
shook out of their brails ; and their sheets being trimmed, the 
gallant ship sped onward to her ocean home. 

Who that has ever stood upon the deck of a ship which, 
under full sail, with a smooth sea, is careering majestically 
over the briny deep, has not felt his bosom swell with 
delight ? Who has not felt the thrill of honest pride coursing 
through his veins, enkindling his very nature to a glow of 
enthusiasm, at the success of our artisans in perfecting the 
ocean palaces of our country, whose snowy canvas whitens 
every sea? If there are such, they certainly are those only 
who are bereft of the light of reason. These were my feelings 
as I stood upon the deck of the ship, my soul filled with delight 
at the completeness of the arrangements, and total absence of 
confusion which, like the mechanism of a clock, was to my 
eyes perfect as any human power could make it. Casting my 
eyes toward the waves, the speed of the vessel, which was 
dashing through the water at a great rate without any percep- 
tible motion, save at times a gentle careering to the leeward, 
I involuntarily repeated the words of Byron : — 

"She walks the water like a thing of life, 
And seems to dare the elements to strife." 

" Hallo, youngster ! here boy I" I turned and met Capt. 

H . " You 've never been to sea, I believe !" I answered 

him, " No further than going a-fishing one season." " Well, 
boy, you see that little sail up there V 9 pointing to the 
topmost sail upon the mainmast, which to the uninitiated I will 
say is the middle one of the three masts which a ship carries. 
I told him I saw the sail (royal) in question. " Well, boy, 
you must learn to climb up there. It will be your duty to take 
care of that sail ; and as the water is smooth, you may begin 
now." I ventured to say, without thinking, that I had never 



! 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 75 

climbed up so high on a vessel's mast. His laugh brought me 

to my senses, and I sprang into the rigging, Capt. H calling 

to me that he would send a man up to show me how to 
loose and furl the sail, and after that I would have to do it 
myself. Casting away all thoughts of danger or difficulty 
which crept into my mind, and firmly resolved to accomplish 
the feat, I scrambled up the rigging — remembering the injunc- 
tion of many of the old salts, who, when I first left the deck, 
shouted to me to keep my eyes upward — until I reached the 
head of the main-topmast, when, stopping an instant to rest, I 
cast my eyes down, and w r as not a little surprised at the height 
I had gained. Here the ratlins (the short lines which are 
fastened across the topmast and low r er rigging) ended. These 
lines correspond to the rounds in a ladder. The rest of the way 
was to be accomplished by " shinning," as it is called on ship- 
board, which is done readily with the aid of the two shrouds— 
tw r o stout ropes which stay the mast upon each side. I had 
become used to this operation on board of the fishing-smacks, 
and being light and vigorous, I reached the royal yard, which, 
with its sail clewed up, had been lowered for the instruction 
of the new sailor. The men gave me all the necessary insight 
into this branch of my duty, by going through with the details 
of loosing and furling, after w r hich the sail was set as before, 
and I returned to the deck. " Well, youngster/' said Capt, 

H , " do you think you can perform that operation alone?" 

I answered that I thought I could. " Well, jump up and let 
us see how smart you can be." Again I ascended to the yard, 

furled the sail, and returned. "Now," said Capt. H , 

" you must go aloft and loose it once more." I made the ascent, 
and casting the sail loose upon the lee yard-arm, I crossed to 
the wdndward side and essayed to do the same ; but here I w r aa 
stopped. The laurels I had w r on were fast withering. I had 
unfortunately tied the gasket, i. e. the line which confines the 
sail to the yard when furled, in a hard knot which resisted 
all my efforts to unloose, and I was puzzled. If I had had a 



76 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

knife with me I would have cut it ; but although well provided 
with that article, it was unfortunately safely stowed in my 
chest in the forecastle. A moment more, and the voice of Capt. 

H hailed me from the deck. " If that sail is not set in a 

moment more, I'll flog you as soon as you come down!" This 
sounded awfully in my ears. The flogging process on board 
of the L — — n passed through my mind, causing my very flesh 
to creep. I seized the gasket between my teeth, in a spot 
where it was about half worn though, and tearing away with 
all my might, the raveled shreds yielded, and the sail fell from 
the yard. My manoeuvres had been closely watched from the 
deck, and when I descended, I was saluted with shouts of laugh- 
ter from all save Capt. H , who gravely enjoined me 

always to carry a knife about me — a hint which I never forgot. 



CHAPTER VII. 



ui 

ht 



The Voyage — Exultation — The old salts' advice — Watches — The light- 
house — Adieu to my native hills — Explanation of marking time on 
board ship — Improvidence of sailors — Off soundings — Porpoises — Sport 
— A capture — Cape Hatteras — The Gulf-stream — Squalls — Thunder 
and lightning — A quiet ship — The contented, steward — The gale — All 
hands — Wish myself on shore — The deluge and the hurricane — Terri 
war of the elements — Making all snug — Hove to — Light-heartednei 
of sailors — The tables turned — Another call — Scudding — A narro 
escape — Invalided — Momentary regrets — The storm over — All right 
— Land ho! 

The acme of my desire — the making of a voyage on board 
of a ship — was now to be accomplished. I was on the eve 
of visiting, though not a foreign, yet to my ideas a very distant 
country ; and words would hardly suffice to express the exulta- 
tion and excitement in which I seemed to exist, to the amuse- 
ment of the old salts, who in their rough way gave me to 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 77 

understand that this was only one side of the picture, bidding 
me to keep a weather-eye open and look out for squalls. 

The weather was fine and the breeze strong, and by the 
next morning we had gained the open sea. The preceding 
evening I had been placed in the captain's watch, which is 
usually in charge of the second officer, and always commences 
its duties at eight p. m. on the first day of a voyage. During 
this time I took my first lesson in steering a ship with a wheel, 
which to me was a new affair. At midnight, we were relieved 
by the other half of the crew, which constituted the first officer's 
watch. When I left the deck we were midway between Capes 
Cod and Ann, the lights of which, together with those of Plum 
Island, were in sight, their guiding blaze directing the hardy 
mariner safely upon his trackless course ; bringing vividly to 
mind the beacon-fire of heaven, which by God's command led 
the Israelites of old in their quest of the promised land. Tired 
of excitement and toil, upon being relieved from duty I went 
below, and turning into a berth, was in a moment transferred 
to the mystic land of dreams, in which all my cares and excite- 
ment were alike forgotten. I could hardly believe that four 
hours had passed, when at the sound of three heavy blows 
upon the forescuttle, the hoarse cry of "All the starboard 
watch ahoy !" fell in almost deafening sounds upon my ears. 
Hastily reaching the deck, I found nothing farther was the 
matter than that I had slept four hours, and that the other 
watch considered turn-about fair play. This being all in 
regular course, the other watch went below, while those who 
were not at the wheel or on the look-out stowed themselves 
forward upon the windlass. There, in spite of the cold, the time 
passed very pleasantly with me in listening to the men, who, 
being comparative strangers to one another, were recounting 
their former voyages. During this time the last vestige of the 
land, in the faint glow of the Chatham lights, sank in the 
distance, and the soft beams of the early dawn in the east 
revealed the approach of day. 

7* 



78 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

" Forward there, sir ! Strike three bells, and get along the 
wash-deck tub to the gangway." "Ay, ay, sir;" and our 
little party broke up to carry out the orders of the officer, when 
the process of washing and scrubbing the deck commenced, in 
which T managed to get well washed myself, by way of induc- 
tion into the mysteiy of the operation, which lasted, owing to 
the foulness of the decks, the greater part of two hours. This 
duty accomplished and the deck swabbed dry, the order to 
strike seven bells, and for the watch to go to breakfast, was 
given. This, occupying but half an hour, brings eight o'clock, 
a. m. when the relieving watch are called, and in their turn take 
breakfast and then proceed to duty ; the old watch going below, 
where they remain until meridian, which ends the marine day. 

I must here explain to the reader the method of marking 
time on shipboard. The day of twenty-four hours is divided 
into six watches of four hours each ; but as this arrangement 
would continue to give the same hours to each watch during a 
voyage, that which occupies the time from four to eight in the 
evening is divided into two, of two hours each, which con- 
stantly changes the time occupied by the two divisions of the 
ship's company — the captain's or starboard, and the mate's or 
larboard watches. The passing of time is noted by strokes of 
the bell, if there is one on board ; if not, some article that will 
produce a ringing sound,— as for instance, a crowbar, — is hung 
up, and the time is faithfully noted by strokes upon it ; the 
man at the wheel having in view a clock or watch, or, as is 
often the case, a half-hour glass, which when run out is 
quickly turned, and the number of strokes given to indicate 
the time. These always commence with the watch. Thus the 
time is eight o'clock : — at half-past eight, one stroke ; nine, 
two strokes ; half-past nine, three strokes ; and so up to eight, 
which announces twelve, four, or eight o'clock, when the 
strokes commence with the new watch. The divisions of time 
— two hours each, from four to eight — are technically termed 
dog-watches. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 79 

Everything upon deck having been stowed ready for sea 
the previous day, the watch were permitted to go below, where 
some went to sleep, and some to work mending their dunnage, 
as they called their clothing, for at that time the sailor had 
not learned to be provident enough to have his clothes mended 
on shore ; the larger class of whom spent their money and time 
in (grousing, instead of preparing for future wants. The 
weather still continued very fine ; and not being disposed to 
sleep, I went on deck and took a seat between the night- 
heads, where I could command a view both of our deck and of 
the boundless ocean, whose deep blue color, now that we were 
off soundings, I for the first time noticed. There was nothing 
in sight seaward, save a large shoal of porpoises far away to 
leeward ; so turning my eyes in upon deck, I amused myself 
by watching the various movements of those who where stirring 
in that direction, until the cry was raised by some of the pas- 
sengers who had discovered the afore-named fish, which were 
coming with the speed of the wind directly toward the ship. 
The moment it was certain they would approach near enough, 
a harpoon, with which most vessels are provided, was brought 
forth from its hiding-place ; the jib down-haul (a stout line) 
was made fast to it, and the mate, descending to the martingale- 
stay, under the bowsprit, poised his weapon and prepared for 
the sport. While he was getting in readiness, the other men 
had fastened a snatch-block to the foretopmast stay, into which 
the line was placed, and some seven or eight, including myself, 
all eager for the capture of one of the fish, laid hold of the 
rope, in readiness to run him up out of his native element the 
moment he was secured. 

The excitement now became intense. The porpoises Came 
dashing on in thousands, in regular platoons of, at times, thirty 
or forty abreast, rank after rank, in an order which would 
have put to shame the so-called straight lines of many of our 
volunteer militia companies. These, in their turn, were flanked 
by large numbers of others, who, like the light troops of a 



80 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

marching division, preserved a much less dignified order, fre- 
quently breaking their ranks, and leaping out of the water 
sometimes to the height of five and six feet, balancing them- 
selves so nicely in the air, as to come down into the water 
headforemost; at other times, those on the extreme right or 
left would throw themselves at full length upon the surface of 
the water, into the spray of which they would fall and disap- 
pear, their places speedily supplied by others. The massive 
proportions of our stately vessel at length broke the order of 
their march ; and, attracted by the shining sheets of foam 
rolling from beneath our bow, in which they appeared to 
delight to frolic, they altered their course to ours, and crossed 
and re-crossed in scores, fifties, and hundreds, under the place 
where the mate stood with the weapon barbed with death, 
waiting to select his victim. " Stand by !" shouted the officer, 
and ere the word had fallen from his lips, the glittering steel 
was buried deep into the flesh of a noble specimen of his race, 
who chanced to break the surface of the water directly under 
him. "Run him up!" shouted the mate. On the instant, 
with the assistance of a dozen of the excited passengers, who 
eagerly laid hold of the rope, the monster, writhing and strug- 
gling, was triced up to the foretopmast stay, whence he was 
speedily transferred to the deck, giving all a rare opportunity 
to make a minute examination of this curious fish. The most 
surprising thing about him, to my mind, was the distinctly 
audible groans uttered by him when dying. The liver of 
this fish is not inferior to that of a pig ; but the flesh, which 
in appearance resembles horse-beef, is tough and rank, ren- 
dering it unfit for food except in cases of extremity. The 
outer covering of the fish is similar to that of the whale : that 
is, a covering of fat, which, when cut in strips, and the ends 
disengaged from the flesh, readily strips down the whole length 
of the surface. This fish has been frequently called the 
sea-hog, from its snout, which resembles that of the hog in 
its shape. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 81 

Nothing worthy of record occurred to mar the pleasure of 
our voyage until we reached the latitude of Cape Hatteras, 
almost always the scene of storm, and too frequently of disaster 
and shipwreck. This cape lies off the coast of North Carolina, 
in latitude 35° 7' N. and longitude 75° 30' W. from Green- 
wich. Dangerous shoals extend to a considerable distance 
off this point, which has ever been an object of care and fear 
to the mariners navigating the neighboring sea. Hitherto 
the weather had continued remarkably fine. The breeze, 
though at times strong during the six days we had been 
at sea, seldom amounted to more than what we could safely 
carry all sail before ; while at other times a dead calm pre- 
vailed, not a breath ruffling the glassy surface of the water H 
Fun and frolic had been the order of the day, especially among 
the passengers; but now the scene began to change: frequent 
squalls crossed our track, always accompanied by drenching 
rains, while a heavy cross-sea added not a little to our discom- 
fort, and the thunder and lightning exceeded anything I had 
ever conceived of. Our hitherto thickly-peopled deck became 
suddenly deserted, and the merry laugh of the light-hearted 
passengers were hushed, while the increased activity of the stew- 
ard plainly indicated that a great change in the aspect of affairs 
had taken place in the cabin, and bright visions of golden fees 
seemed to agitate his former long-drawn countenance. We 
were now in the gulf-stream, and the warmth of the water — 
a phenomenon, or rather problem, the solution of which has 
puzzled the sagest efforts since its discovery — formed another 
subject of notice, which fully repaid me for the hard and un- 
tiring exertions which I was constantly called on to make, in 
common with the rest of the crew. 

Towards the evening of the eighth day at sea, the weather 
being comparatively fine, we were warned, by a heavy bank of 
clouds in the south-east, of another squall, which seemed to be 
driving down upon us with amazing swiftness. The captain 
was instantly called from the cabin, on the first appearance of 



82 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the ugly customer, whose immense masses were rolling and 
tumbling in chaotic strife, while between them and the surface 
of the water the space was filled with a dim opaque light, 
which the eye in vain endeavored to penetrate. A glance from 
Capt. PI , and the rapid strides of the second mate, indi- 
cated there was work chalked out for us. The captain instantly 
ordered me to bring his speaking-trumpet ; and the watch 
below, who had been summoned on deck to bear a hand, (which 
by the way, generally occasions some grumbling from the old 
salts,) being in readiness, the order was given to clew up the 
topgallant-sails and to haul down the flying-jib ; which were 
immediately furled. This was followed by the hauling up of 
the courses, which, being the heaviest sails of the ship, required 
all our force to accomplish. By the time this was clone the 
whole heavens were overcast, and the fading light of the de- 
parting day spread over the whole aspect of things an air of 
unearthly gloom. But we had little time to indulge in senti- 
ment : hardly a man spoke, save in a whisper, and anxious care 
sat heavily upon each brow. How many of the little band who 
stood upon the deck of our gallant ship, ready and willing to do 
battle with the elements, which were only lulled that they 
might fall with redoubled force upon our heads, but who 
breathed an ardent wish for their safe and pleasant homes upon 
the land ! How much would I have given to have been safe 
on shore once more ! As these thoughts ran through my mind, 
all my undutifulness rushed upon me with tenfold force, and the 
whisperings of a guilty conscience told me I deserved this and 
much more. 

" We shall have a tough night of it, Mr. B ," said 

Captain H , addressing his first officer. " It looks much 

like the remnant of a West India hurricane. We will station 
hands at the topsail halyards, and let the rest get the topgal- 
lant-yards upon deck." The necessary orders were given, and 
the men proceeded to get the yards down from aloft. Mean- 
while the captain had called me, and assigned me a station at 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 83 

the mizzen-topsail halliards, which he commanded me to see all 
clear for running. An hour of intense darkness had now 
•passed, lighted only now and then by bright flashes of light- 
ning, which revealed with fearful distinctness the smallest 
object, and left us shrouded in darkness which, like that of 
Egypt, could almost be felt. 

" The yards are stowed," said Mr. B , respectfully 

touching his hat to the captain, who stood at the binnacle (the 
box which holds the ship's compasses) directing the man at the 
helm — there being no steerage-way upon the vessel — in the 
vain hope of bringing the ship's head to the sea. " Very good, 

sir," said Captain H , politely returning his officer's salute. 

Just then a distant rustling noise, faint at first but rapidly 
increasing in volume, struck my ear. The officers were busy 
talking and had not noticed it. "I hear the wind coming, 

Captain H ," said I. " Good boy !" returned he, raising 

the trumpet to his mouth. " Stand by the topsail halliards ! 
Man the starboard and larboard braces cheerly now, men! 
Mind my orders, and jump lively." 

The wind came down on us dead ahead. It was preceded, 
however, by a tremendous shower of rain, which descended 
in torrents for the space of half an- hour, drenching every one 
upon deck. During this time the ship rolled and wallowed in 
the trough of the huge seas, the topsails at one moment surging 
forward and filling with wind caused by their own violent 
motion, and anon recoiling against the mast with augmented 
force, causing a concussion which vied with the loud thunder- 
crash reverberating above us and rendered the uproar deafening. 
The clouds at length lifted from the horizon and the rain- squall 
yielded to the hurricane, the first roaring notes of which 
brought the yards to the caps. The sheets were let fly, and for 
an instant we essayed to clew them up. But this was an order 
easier given than accomplished, Their distended extremities 
seemed to be held in the giant clutches of some demon bent 
upon our destruction. For a brief space we toiled on in vain, 



84 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

seemingly against hope. But at length the vessel's head falling 
off, enabled * us to clew up the canvas and get the reef-tackles 
hauled out. This accomplished, we were soon under the three 
topsails, reduced to their smallest possible dimensions. But we 
were not long in perceiving that even this was too much for the 
straining vessel, which plunged forward with resistless force, 
tearing her way through seas of immense volume without the 
smallest chance of rising to their surface, throwing on board 
vast quantities of water, which compelled all on deck to secure 
themselves to something that would withstand the fury of the 
waves. The order was now given to take in the fore and 
mizzen topsails, which being done, the vessel's bow was brought 
close to the wind ; and under the balanced power of the close- 
reefed maintopsail, our little ship rode like a sea-gull upon the 
bosom of the angry billows. " The watch may go below, Mr. 

B ," said the captain ; " but tell them to hold themselves 

in readiness to jump upon deck in an instant, when called. We 
have not got the worst of it yet :" and continued he, " if this 
sea gets any heavier, we shall be obliged to scud her." This 
operation is performed by putting the vessel before the wind 
and letting her run, presenting nothing to the force of the galo 
but the bare surface of the hull and spars. • 

It was now three bells, (half-past nine in the evening,) and 
being my watch below, I dove into the forecastle, completely 
cured, as I thought, of all inclination for the sea as the future 
field of action during my journey through life. Wet, and cold, 
my flesh almost sodden, I stared with the greatest amazement at 
some of my older shipmates, who, as soon as they had gained 
the shelter of the little cabin, commenced a hornpipe in true 
sailor style, though the motion of the vessel somewhat confused 
the figures of the dance. This was continued but a short time, 
when a violent pitch of the ship sent them all in a heap against 
the breast-hook in the bow of the vessel, with such force that 
their sportiveness was knocked out of them, giving place, in 
some, to maledictions in strange keeping with our situation. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 85 

We were forbid to turn in : so, after exchanging our wet clothes 
for dry ones, we all sat down in momentary expectation of a 
summons from the deck. A heavy sea would now and then 
strike the ship with tremendous force, causing her to quiver 
from truck to keelson, discharging large volumes of water upon 
the deck, the sound of which, as our ship rolled from starboard 
to port, at times almost made me think there was as much water 
overhead as below us ; while, above all, the tempest roared in 
resistless might, frequently careening our gallant ship until 
the points of the lower yards kissed the waves. Weary at length 
with toil and excitement, regardless of the orders that we were 
not to go to sleep, I yielded to the fit of drowsiness which 
came over me, and care and anxiety were soon steeped in 
oblivion 

The hoarse summons, " All hands !" roused me from my 
slumbers, and I sprang upon deck, supposing we were to relieve 
the watch. I imagined I had slept for hours, and felt somewhat 
refreshed ; but the sound of five strokes on the bell told me I 
had rested but half an hour. The storm was now raging with 
redoubled violence. The huge waves piled their giant foam- 
crested summits high above the tops of our lower masts, 
threatening every moment to engulf us. The time had come 
when we were obliged to try the dangerous experiment of 
scudding the ship under bare poles, as it is called. The sail 
was clewed up, and we ascended to the yard to secure it. I 
was of the number, and occupied the farthest point of the 
weather yard-arm. The sail was furled and well secured with 
extra gaskets, and we proceeded to descend. To do this we 
were compelled, by the violent rolling of the ship, to hold on 
with tooth and nail. My feet were unused to the small foot-ropes 
in such weather, and I was continually slipping back and forth, 
owing to my neglect of the proper rule, in such emergencies, 
viz : to stand with my whole weight upon the ropes, instead 
of depending upon my hands for support. This was now 
especially necessary ; for after the men left the rope, it sank 

8 



86 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

with my weight to its lowest extension, and being of low 
stature, my ehin was brought down even with the yard. My 
perilous position was unnoticed amid the confusion and uproar 
of the elements, until my shipmates had gained the top, at 
which time I had got but about half the distance from the 
position I had occupied upon the yard. At this moment, in the 
midst of a tremendous lurch of the ship to larboard, the foot- 
rope sunk, my feet slipped, my hands loosened with the sudden 
jerk, and grasping vainly at the rigging, I fell from the yard. 
I closed my eyes, and my breath was stopped ; but in that brief 
space of time were concentrated the memoiy of all that I had 
ever known of the past. I fell, however, just at the right time : 
the vessel at that instant was careened to her bearings, and the 
yard being squared, I landed with violence against the head of 
the mast in the top ; from which, luckily for me, the men had not 
all descended, or I should have continued my journey below ; for 
my body was about fairly balanced over the forward rim of 
the top, and had I not been grasped by a powerful hand, the 
reader would never have been troubled with the perusal of 
these pages. 

" That's a queer way to lay in, off of a yard, youngster," 
said the gruff seaman. " You'll never try that but once more : 
are you hurt?" I answered I was not much hurt, but I wanted 
to breathe a moment. " Well, hold on a little, while I look to 
the fid in the topmast, and I'll help you down on deck." I 
did not feel any great pain from the effects of my fail; but an 
awful sense of the dreadful death which I had just escaped 
almost stupified me, and I burst into tears as I thought of home 
and its joys. My mind now turned to that God whose command- 
ments I had disobeyed, and for the time I felt humbled and 
penitent, as well as fearful, in view of God's wrath, which I 
had provoked. But unhappily this all passed away with the 
return of fair weather, as is too often the case with those 
whose lot is cast among the reckless and the profane. It was 
ordained that I should yet for a time wander in darkness, and 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 87 

reap the bitter fruits of my own sinful passions, until I should, 
like the prophet sent of God to warn the inhabitants of Nineveh, 
humble myself before him and own his power. 

From this state of feeling I was aroused by the voice 
of my shipmate, who summoned me to accompany him to 
the deck, saying, as we did so, that I would be stiff for the 
rest of the trip. Once more upon deck, the captain, upon 
hearing from the sailor of my accident and narrow escape, 
called me and inquired as to the cause of my falling, at the 
same time saying I was too short for the heavier yards, as the 
foot-ropes were too deep. This I told him was the reason of 
my falling, " Well, you may go below and rest yourself, and 
don't turn out until you get well. And mind, you must not 
go upon the lower and fore and main topsail yards unless I 
order you to. "If the boy had gone overboard," said the 
captain, addressing the first officer, as I turned to go forward, 
" I should never have forgiven myself." 

Once more below, I turned in, and, in spite of the raging 
tempest, I fell into a deep sleep, from which I was only aroused 
by the vigorous shaking of the mate's arm, who inquired if I 
intended to sleep until we got into Charleston. Upon my assur- 
ance that I did not, and that I felt no ill effects from my fall, 
he told me that he was the doctor of the ship, though he hated 
physic ; so he would lock his medicine-chest and prescribe a 
dose of fresh air the next time the watch was relieved. It 
was ten o'clock in the morning ; and having slept enough, I 
went upon deck. The weather had moderated much, but it 
still blew very heavily. The ship had been hove-to again, as 
it was considered less dangerous in the heavy sea than scudding ; 
and a clear blue sky, and bright sun overhead diffusing warmth 
and light, formed a glowing contrast to the gloomy night we 
had just passed. At noon the wind had moderated so far that 
the ship required more sail to steady her, and the three top- 
sails, close-reefed, were extended to the breeze. Ere nightfall 
we were again heading on our course, with topgallants set, 



88 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and the more hardy of our passengers ventured to appear upon 
deck and snuff the pure air. For the next three days and 
nights we progressed rapidly upon our voyage. Mirth and 
hilarity again assumed their sway, and completely drove care 
and anxiety from our minds, until, on the morning of the thir- 
teenth day of our voyage, the loud cry of " Land ho !" from the 
man at the mast-head, quickly taken up and echoed from mouth 
to mouth by the passengers, fell cheerily upon each listening 
ear. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Sight of the coast — Prepare to enter port — The pilot — Fort Moultrie— 
Nullification — Charleston — Aspect of the place — Southern chivalry, 
and the darkies — Return to B. — Shaw's — A fright — Nobody hurt — Capt. 
Marks — His chief officer — Questions — Explanations — My compact — 
Mum's the word — My uncle — Again afloat — The Thamar — Marks' ad- 
dress to the crew — Concealing goods for smuggling — Instructions— 
The West Indian waters and their beauties — The bay of Port au 
Prince — The negro pilot — Hug Francaise — Our cook — The customs 
officer — Midnight plottings. 

As it was not my watch upon deck, being anxious to get a 
glimpse of the strange coast, I ascended to the topgallant mast- 
head, from which station I could just discern in the far distance 
the low coast of South Carolina, fringed with a scattering 
growth of its armorial emblem, the palmetto, the tops of which, 
singly or in groups, served to relieve the monotony of its out- 
line, which offered as yet no object of curiosity for examination. 
I therefore descended to the deck, when the order was given 
for all hands to prepare the ship for entering the port. This 
consisted in getting the anchors off the bow, where they had 
been secured during the passage, and attaching to them the 
stout chain cables. This done, the chafing-gear — such as mats, 
splints of wood, etc., which are fastened to the rigging at any 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 89 

place where the yards are likely to come in contact with them, 
(which splints are usually termed " Scotchmen,'' for what pur- 
pose I do not know, nor could I ever learn,) together with any 
amount of old canvas, called by seamen " parceling,' ' which 
was wrapped around the rigging in those places where it was 
any way exposed to chafe or wear — came to the deck in 
showers, and the bleached and weather-worn appearance of 
the rigging and masts gave place to an aspect of trimness 
more in keeping with her condition when we left the harbor 
of Boston. 

By the time the necessary arrangements were completed 
for our introduction to the capital of the Palmetto State, we 
observed the pilot-boat bearing down for us ; and having in 
the meantime approached as near to the bar as was con- 
sidered safe, we hove to and awaited her approach. We soon 
had the pilot on board, and once more headed for the port, at 
the entrance of which we could see the starry flag of the Union 
waving proudly in the breeze from the ramparts of Fort 
Moultrie, bringing freshly to mind the valiant deeds of those 
heroic spirits who here, at the commencement of the Revolu- 
tion, checked the arrogant pride of the fleets of Britain, giving 
them to understand that a new power had arisen to contest for 
the sovereignty of the ocean. The names of Rutledge, Moultrie, 
Marion, Jasper, and others of lesser note, occurred to my 
mind, as I surveyed with much curiosity its frowning batteries, 
bristling with heavy cannon ; while upon the ramparts the 
occasional glittering of the sun's rays, reflected from the pol- 
ished arms of the sentinels, told us that the fortress was in the 
hands of good men and true, ready to do battle for the preserva- 
tion of the Union. The nullification excitement still hung 
lowering over this fair portion of our country, its demoralizing 
influence affecting alike both young and old : but " Old Hick- 
ory " had taken time by the forelock, and got the start of the 
anarchists, by garrisoning all the strongholds, and they were 
reluctantly obliged to submit to the general government. 

8* 



90 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Charleston, the capital of South Carolina, is situated upon 
the point of land formed by the junction of the Cooper and Ash- 
ley rivers, in latitude 32° 47' N., longitude 79° 54' W., distant 
from Washington 553 miles. Its harbor is good, but vessels 
drawing over sixteen feet of water would find the entrance to 
it very difficult. As in Boston, there are numerous wharves, 
the spiles upon which they rest being encrusted with bunches 
of young oysters. I had heard of oysters growing upon trees 
before, therefore I was not surprised at the circumstance. The 
ground upon which the city is built is low and flat. The ware- 
houses fronting the wharves being of brick, three or four stories 
in height, prevented any farther view of the city from the ship. 

The aspect of everything was very different from that of 
any seaport I had ever visited. It was cheerless in the extreme. 
The tall storehouses, their doors and window-shutters cased in 
iron, appeared to me like so many prisons, as I looked upon them 
in the dusk of the evening for the first time ; but when the ship 
was made fast, I started to explore the city, and beyond the 
gloomy barrier, I was pleased to find there was an inside which 
did not at all correspond with my exterior view of the place. 
Large stores, containing every species of merchandise, their 
front show-windows throwing into the street a blaze of light, 
and crowds of people intent upon business or pleasure, soon 
gave me to understand that Charleston was, in this respect at 
least, not at all behind her sister cities of the Union. During 
the time I remained in Charleston, I had an opportunity to 
observe the principal objects of interest which the city con- 
tained ; but tliey have been so often dwelt upon by abler pens 
than mine, that I will not tax the reader's patience with an 
attempt at description. The manners and habits of the slaves 
attracted much of my attention ; but whatever their treatment 
might be under the immediate supervision of their masters, 
their conduct, when freed from restraint, seemed as careless and 
happy as that of their free brethren of the same color in the 
Northern States. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 91 

It was dangerous to hazard a remark in opposition to the 
H Carolinian State Eights Platform " at that time ; I was there- 
fore very careful not to commit myself. In one, and only one 
instance, did I venture to broach the subject, by remarking 
jocosely to a boy of not more than half my size and weight, 
that Calhoun's party had been obliged to succumb to northern 
influence. This was too much for the chivalrous blood of the 
lad, who threatened to do all manner of desperate things, and 
actually struck me ; and in retaliation I threw him into the 
dock, from which, being a good swimmer, he soon got out drip- 
ping, with his warm southern blood materially cooled by the 
process. 

We remained in Charleston fifteen days, during which time 
we discharged our cargo, and took in a return freight of cotton 
and rice ; and bidding farewell to the capital of the Nullifiers, 
we again found ourselves upon our homeward course, wafting 
before gentle breezes toward the less genial but more home- 
like coast of New-England, which we sighted after a very 
agreeable passage of eleven clays ; and upon the next we moored 
our trim craft, but little the worse for wear, in her old berth 
where I had first joined her. 

After discharging our freight I left the ship, the time for 
which I had engaged being ended ; although every inducement 

Capt. H could oiler was held out to retain me on board. 

But I listened to the smooth-tongued boarding-house runners, 
who gave me to understand it was not considered seamanlike 
to remain on board of a vessel after the voyage was ended, and I 
returned to my old quarters at Shaw's. The fear of meeting 
any one who knew me, kept me pretty closely confined to the 
house, the occupants of which divided their time about equally 
between gambling and fighting. 

This soon became wearisome to me, and I determined to 
look out for a berth for myself. For this purpose I frequented 
the shipping- offices and wharves for nearly a week, without 
meeting with any success. About the beginning of December, 



92 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

while standing upon one of the wharves in company with a 
party of sailors, watching the departure of some of our boon 
companions, I was not a little frightened by one of my com- 
panions, who laid his hand upon my shoulder and asked me 
if I knew that a man had been watching me for the last half- 
hour, at the same time indicating the person by a sidelong 
glance. Almost trembling, I followed the direction of his gaze, 
until my eye fell upon the person of a rather good-looking man 
of about fifty years of age, who from his appearance I rightly 
judged was a sea-captain. At all events, my fears were at 
once dissipated, as I felt sure we had never met before, which 
fact I communicated to my informant in answer to his inquiry* 
I had just turned to continue my scrutiny of this man's appear- 
ance, when he stepped forward and extended his hand in a 
familiar manner, inquiring if I was looking for a berth. I 
answered in the affirmative. "Come with me ; I want to have 
a talk with you," said he, leading the way to the end of the 
wharfj where lay a small brig of about 130 tons' burthen. "I 
am master of this vessel,'' he remarked, " and am bound to 
Port au Prince, in the island of St. Domingo." As we jumped 
upon her deck, he asked, " Have you ever been there V " I 
have not, sir," I replied. " Well," continued he, " come into 
the cabin ; and if we can make a bargain, you may get your 
clothes on board at once, as I wish to sail to-morrow morning." 
Seated at the table, he drew from one of the berths the ship's 
articles, (an instrument detailing the compact between the cap- 
tain, officers, and crew of a sea-going vessel,) and throwing them 
before me, said, " You see, they are filled out. I have got my 
crew all shipped, but I want a boy of about your age for par- 
ticular service." " That's it, Mr. Lee, aint it?" " That's it 
exactly," responded the person addressed, who had just then 
descended from the deck — a little withered, sunburnt specimen 
of humanity, whose hoarse chuckle somewhat resembled the 
croaking of a bullfrog. " That's it, sir. Why, you can stick 
that little fellow (meaning me) into the nigger's eyes, and they 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 93 

won't be able to see him before he kicks ;" and Mr. Lee laughed 
in great glee at his own wit, helping himself meanwhile to a 
liberal supply of brandy and water, which he seemed to swal- 
low with great gusto. 

After giving some orders to his first officer, Captain Marks, 
as I shall call him, took his seat at the table, and invited me 
to drink, helping himself from the decanter, which he placed 
upon the table within reach for the purpose of more readily 
replenishing his glass : then, producing some cigars of which he 
had a large supply on hand, we both squared ourselves, — he to 
gratify and I to indulge my awakened cariosity, in listening 
to the details of his schemes. Previous to his proceeding to 
this business, however, he asked me a number of questions in 
regard to my name, age, place of nativity, how long I had fol- 
lowed the sea, what vessels I had sailed in, etc. With my 
answers to these questions he appeared to be satisfied; and 
after musing a little while, as if uncertain what course to 
pursue, he asked me if I would engage to join his vessel for the 
voyage, adding that I should not be required to do anything 
at sea unless I felt so disposed, but should live in the cabin, 
pass for his nephew, and make no acquaintance with the crew. 
In consideration, he would agree to give me twenty-five dollars 
per month for as long a period as I should remain with 
him, and pay me two months' wages in advance. This was 
enough : fifty dollars in hand at once appeared to me a for- 
tune, and I closed the bargain by signing the articles as super- 
cargo. " Now," said I, " Capt. Marks, what is the particular 
service you will expect from me V 9 " All that I want of you, 
is to help me cheat the nigger custom-house out of the 
duties upon a few articles which I have on board. It is very 
easily done — there is no danger ; and if they find you out, why, 
I can get you off safe, so that there will be nothing on that 
score to trouble you." " That is what is usually called smug- 
gling, Captain Marks," said I. " Yes," said he ; " and llPsome 
of the ports of Hayti the government officers wink at its being 



94 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

carried on right before their eyes. Fact, I tell you," con- 
tinued he, as he saw my eyes dilate in surprise. " I've 
smuggled more than 150,000 dollars' worth of goods ashore 
upon the island within the last ten years. So you see I know 
something about it." After a great deal of talk concerning 
his former exploits in wooling the eyes of the Haytiens, I con- 
sented to all of his plans ; and after taking supper, I arose and 
was about to start for my boarding-house to get my chest and 
bedding, which I intended to get on board that evening, when 
he laid his hand upon my arm, and looking me sharply in the 
face, said, "We understand each other now perfectly. Keep 
a taught stopper on your jaw-tackle (in other words, hold your 
tongue.) What do you say if I go up with you ?" I told him 
I should be very happy to have his company. " That's right. 
I like to have a man talk right square up to the mark. 'Tis 
now a quarter to six : we'll get your dunnage on board, and 
then we'll go up to the National Theatre." Taking the articles 
in his hand, and proceeding to Purchase-street, he called to a 
hackman who was passing, and jumping into the vehicle we 
soon gained the place of my temporary sojourn. As we 
entered he whispered in my ear, " Leave this business all in 
my hands." I nodded assent, and stepping forward toward my 
landlord, I presented Capt. Marks as my uncle. " Well," 
said my new-found relative, after the usual shaking of hands 
was got through with, " Mr. Shaw, how long has this boy 
been with you ? I wish to take charge of him myself for the 
future ; and as he is willing to go with me, Til take him out 
a voyage to the West Indies. He will do much better with 
me, than by drifting about in every direction, falling into all 
sorts of company and continually getting into scrapes. A 
boy never does well at sea unless he has some one to keep a 
sharp look-out for him." To all of this Shaw granted assent, 
while busying himself making out his bill against me. This 
finis^d, he passed the account to my companion, who in turn 
handed it over to me for my inspection. Finding it was as 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 95 

near right as landlord's bills usually are, the captain paid me 
over the money to cancel the debt. This done, we got my 
luggage into the hack, and by seven o'clock we were once 
more on our way up town, in the direction of the theatre. 
Previous to our leaving the vessel, I was enriched by two ten- 
dollar bills given me by Capt. Marks. The next morning 
founof us running under foretopsail, mainsail, and jib, before a 
strong north-west gale, for the deep blue rolling sea. 

The Thamar, the vessel to which I now belonged, as I 
have before said, was a brig of about 130 tons' burthen, clip- 
per-built and a very fast sailer. Her company consisted of 
Capt. Marks ; Mr. Lee, first officer ; Mr. Barr, second do. ; 
cook, and five men before the mast. Altogether we formed, 
considering the size of the vessel, a strong crew, a rather unusual 
circumstance for those days in this country. Clear of the 
lighthouse, all hands were summoned to the quarter-deck, by 
the direction of Capt. Marks, who produced his articles and 
read them to the men. Then giving a sign to the officers, 
who in obedience walked to the starboard side, he made a 
short address to the crew, directing them to obey implicitly 
every command the officers might give, the same as if it had 
been given by himself, and to attend to their duty with alac- 
rity and cheerfulness, without question or demurring ; assur- 
ing them that if they observed these rules, he would be to 
them a friend in every emergency ; otherwise they were to 
expect such usage as he should deem proper, adding the im- 
perative decree often heard on shipboard, " Growl you may, 
if so you will, but go you must." Calling me to his side, 
" This," said he, " is my nephew : you may call him what you 
like — ship's cousin, passenger, supercargo, — but I shall expect 
you to treat him with the same respect as you do my officers. 
If he chooses to do any duty, he can ; but he is not obliged to 
obey anybody's orders except mine. It rests with you to 
make our voyage pleasant, or otherwise. Go to your duty." 
The men returned to the forecastle, declaring the skipper was 



96 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

a trump, and expressing their anticipation of an agreeable 
prosecution and termination of our voyage. 

After giving the necessary directions to the officer in charge 
of the deck, in regard to the course he was to steer, the captain 
went into the cabin, whither I followed. Throwing off his 
pea-jacket he said : " Now, we've a pretty good job to do here. 
We'll begin with these," pointing to a large pile of boxestwhich 
occupied the after- part of the cabin. Opening them one by 
one, their contents disclosed large quantities of cutlery, such 
as razors, scissors, knives, etc., which were quickly disposed of 
in openings in the ceiling, wainscoting and other hiding-places. 
As package after package were passed along, their labeled 
coverings were torn off and replaced by strong brown wrap- 
pers, before being stowed away. In this employ we spent 
several days, during which time we thus disposed of some five 
thousand dollars' worth of goods, including, besides the above- 
enumerated articles, a large assortment of spurious jewelry, 
pocket pistols, and surgical instruments. " If I get this lot 
safe on shore it will pay pretty well ; don't you think so ?" he 
asked, as he drew the last sliding panel of the transom into its 
place. I told him I thought the hazard of the transaction 
demanded an extraordinary return. " You are right," said he : 
" if they do discover us, and find our hiding-places, I lose the 
vessel, that's certain. But I am well known to the custom- 
house officers, and I've never been even suspected jet. Besides, 
we have a great many friends in the island, who are always 
ready to help in consideration of receiving a share of the 
profits. But I had rather run my own risk, and trust to few 
friends : that's the best way in a speculation." 

During the remainder of the voyage I received daily lessons 
from my employer in the duties of my new vocation, and the 
time passed very pleasantly, especially, after we had crossed 
the Gulf-stream, where during the warm sunny days of that 
latitude I spent many an hour watching the sportive pranks 
of the dolphins, bonitas, skipjacks, and fiying-fish, through the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 97 

\ 

almost unbroken swell of the sea, and ever and anon the 
surface of the watery mirror would be cut by the back fins of 
the voracious sharks, which were continually darting about in 
pursuit of their prey. 

On the morning of the 16th of December we sighted Cape 
Tiburon, and by noon we had entered the bay, at the head of 
which is situated the city of Port au Prince, the political capital 
of the island at that time. We passed the Gonaives Islands, 
which were covered with the most luxuriant verdure I had 
ever seen, and at dusk were boarded by that important person- 
age the pilot, in the shape of a stout negro, whose wool was as 
gray as granite. The pilots here are government officers, and 
ours wore the uniform prescribed by law ; which, by the way, 
was in a shockingly dilapidated state. The gilt buttons and 
shreds of silver lace still remained as monuments of their 
departed grandeur, but the fabric was in tatters. On reaching 
our deck he clasped Capt. Marks fraternally in his arms with 
the vigor of a bear, which was (for more than one reason) 
heartily reciprocated on the part of Marks, after which the 
first and second officers were honored with the hug Francaise, 
or I should rather say Haytien ; and being introduced by the 
captain as his nephew, (which fact elicited several knowing 
winks between himself and the pilot,) I too was hugged till I 
was in danger of having the breath squeezed out of my body ; 
and I was glad to get clear of him, for the odor of his person 
nearly suffocated me. 

The captain having intimated that he was ready to resign 
the command of the vessel to this official, advanced to the 
forecastle, where the crew, who were gathered around the 
windlass, amused themselves with jokes at the darkey's appear- 
ance, in which they were aided and abetted by our cook, 
himself as black as ebony, who was sitting with his head 
protruding out of the caboose, eyeing the ceremonies upon the 
quarter-deck with evident signs of admiration, that is, when 
his face was turned aft; but its expression was evidently 

9 



98 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

changed when his looks were turned to the men, as the broad 
grins upon their faces plainly told. I saw that fun was going 
on there, and pushed along the lee side until I reached the 
cook's office, "Well, doctor, (a common nickname for the 
cuisinier of a vessel,) what do you think of our pilot ?" Rolling 
up the whites of his eyes, and grinning until the corners of his 
potato-trap nearly reached his ears, " Julius Caesar! aint he a 
nigger ! aint he a salty darkey !" Before he could get out any 
more, we heard the voice of the pilot addressing the crew : 
"Look heah, you fellers, you jis mine my ordah; what I tell 
you, do right 'way. Ise captain ob dis vessel ,now," looking 
at the captain, who stepped forward and confirmed the pilot's 
authority by directing them to be smart and obey such orders 
as he thought necessary. "Now, you sah, (to the cook,) you 
make some good coffee — vera strong, sah — mine I tell you, 
vera strong." The old fellow then mounted the night-heads, 
and casting his eyes around to find the position of the vessel, 
sang out to the helmsman, "Pull little ze 'tarboard braces ; so, 
belay : port little." " Port it is, sir." " Steady — steady, sir." 
In this way, alternating from one course to another, we at 
length reached the anchorage, and cam'e-to about three quarters 
of a mile from the shore, where wc moored the vessel accord- 
ing to the port regulations, under the supervision of the pilot ; 
and after the sails were furled, the officer of the customs came 
on board and the pilot left us. The custom-house official was a 
smarf-looking mulatto, tall, straight, and as agile as a cat. 
He was dressed in a half-military costume, and his clothes 
being in keeping with his person, gave him the air of a French 
exquisite. He was the very essence of politeness, of which, by 
the way, I saw more during my stay in Port au Prince than I 
ever did anywhere else in a place of its size. This officer and the 
captain, I soon discovered, were old and familiar acquaintances. 
They sat long at the table in the cabin, after the mate and 
myself had turned in, and the conversation was carried on in 
low whispers, till towards morning it had died away altogether. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 99 

The anticipations of the strange sights I should see among 
these people prevented anything like sleep from visiting my 
eyelids, and the first glow of morning light found me pacing 
the deck of the brig, anxiously waiting for a glimpse of the city. 



CHAPTER IX. 



Port an Prince — Its aspects — St. Domingo bugles — Miss Nancy — First 
equipment — I pass muster — Politeness — Monsieur Rose — The port- 
folio — Introduction to the family — Madame Rose — Agnes — Celeste — 
Pauline — The smuggler in clover — Learning French, and vice versa— - 
Pauline's dilemma— Solution of the problem— Relative positions of 
negroes end mulattoes — Surveillance — Capt. Horner — The French Ad- 
miral — A lesson in politeness — A drunken revel. 

At night the harbor of Port au Prince is very beautiful. 
Surrounded as it is with mountains, it forms a grand amphi- 
theatre, broken only at its entrance from the sea. There were 
about seventy vessels, of all nations, lying around us, many of 
which I could make out by their build to be those of our coun- 
trymen. In a short time the rattling drums of the garrison in 
the fort, and the deep boom of the morning gun, woke up the 
echoes of the hills, which in their turn roused the long-eared 
assinines from their dreary slumbers ; and these animals, whose 
noise proclaimed them legion, made the air resound with their 
continued brayings. This concert we were treated to twice a 
day, at evening and morning, during our stay in port. The 
jacks, which one of our crew named St. Domingo trumpeters, 
finished the work for which the morning-gun was intended,, 
and by the time their overture was ended, the city — which, by 
the way, though prettily situated, looked dingy enough — was 
swarming with its inhabitants, a picture of busy life. The 
shore along the front of the city was thronged with lightermen, 



100 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

discharging their cargoes, or putting off to the shipping to 
re-load, accompanying almost every motion of their bodies with 
some ditty, which was given in full chorus by the whole gang. 
The songs that were evidently most in fashion among these 
long-shore men appeared to be of a political nature, and the 
principal object of their ire was Napoleon Bonaparte, who was 
by these model republicans unequivocally consigned to that 
place where fire and brimstone is said to abound. Boats of 
various sizes now shot out from the shore, in most of which 
were from one to three women. Some of the boats were deeply 
laden with fruits and vegetables peculiar to the tropics; others 
with fish, shells, and branches of beautiful white coral, rivaling 
the purest snow in lustre ; and others with washerwomen im- 
portuning from the "buckras" their patronage, claiming an 
intimate acquaintance with some, though they had never seen 
them before. One woman came alongside of our vessel, and 
taking in her oars, lifted a large cloth of snowy whiteness from 
the top of her lading, and displayed a specimen of tropical 
productions that fairly made my mouth water — the freshest 
oranges, bananas, pine-apples, cocoanuts, guavas, soursops, 
yams, citrons, and lemons, with abundance of honey, syrup, 
and fresh bread, all of which she proffered in exchange for 
money or grease. " Come, pickaninny buckra, I know you : 
I told you you would come back again : come, buy something 
from Miss Nancy: everybody buys from Miss Nancy," at the 
eame time picking out the largest orange in the pile nearest to 
her, and tossing it to me. I assured her she was mistaken, as 
I had never been there before. " Well, then, it was buckra's 
brother ; I looked as much like him as two peas." I told her 
I had no brother ; but she argued me out of it, in spite of all 
my assurances to the contrary. Miss Nancy made a good 
market on board of our vessel, and departed, promising to call 
again, and charging me to come to her house- when I went on 
fehore. 

The custom-house officer now made his appearance, and 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 101 

removed the seal he had placed upon the hatches the pre- 
vious night, when the captain directed Mr. Lee to remove 
the battens and tarpaulins, and open the hold fore and aft. This 
was for the purpose of letting him see that the cargo had not 
been disturbed. "You will excuse me, monsieur,"' said the 
captain," as I must get ready to go on shore immediately after 
you have passed inspection." The polite official bowed assent, 
and the captain retired to the cabin, making a sign for me to 
follow him. "Here, pull on these drawers as quick as you 
can," said he, throwing a pair of strong double-twilled cottons 
at my feet. " You will find them warm enough in this 
climate," he laughingly added. I put on the garment. "Now, 
do just as I do," said he. " The example is better than the 
direction. Practice before theory, always suits me best." 
Casing himself in a similar pair of nether garments, he pro- 
ceeded to stow away about twelve of the thin packages of 
jewelry which I have before alluded to. I watched his 
motions and followed them to the letter, thrusting the goods 
around my legs until the strong cords at the bottom stayed their 
further progress. Then producing a large bundle of elastics with 
strong clasps attached, the drawers were banded with them 
just above the packages, and the process of filling another 
tier was commenced, which in its turn was alike bandaged. 
In this way tier after tier was laid, except at the knees, which 
were left free until the body of the garment was reached. 
This was filled with little pockets all around, of just the 
capacity to admit a case of razors, or pair of scissors, or any- 
thing of a corresponding size, and we wore soon equipped with 
our first venture. A pair of slightly padded drilling pants 
were then slipped over the whole, our coats put on, and we 
were just ready as the officer had finished his inspection. 
" Let me see you walk fore and aft the deck two or three times, 
as soon as we go up. After you have done so, if I nod my 
head, it's all right ; if not, you won't be able to go tnis morn- 
ing. Do these things inconvenience you in your motions 1" I 

9* 



102 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

assured him that they did not in the least. " Well, we will 
go upon deck. This officer will be relieved by another, and 
he will accompany us on shore after breakfast." On deck I 
walked unconcernedly for some minutes, closely observed by 
Capt. Marks, who was talking in the meantime to the officer, 
until I caught the slight nod of approval, as agreed. Breakfast 
being now ready, we hastily disposed of it, and manning the 
boat, we were about getting in, when the government boat came 
alongside and discharged nearly half a ton of black humanity 
upon our deck, in the person of the relieving officer of customs, 
of whom Capt. Marks had spoken. The two officials exchanged 
a few words with each other, w r hen we all indulged in the hug 
fraternal, and taking our seats in the boat, were speedily trans- 
ferred to the wharf., called there the mole. 

It was yet early to commence business at the custom-house ; 
so after transacting some usual affairs at the office of the 
captain of the port, Capt. Marks, begging to be excused for 
an hour or two, which was graciously conceded by the polite 
darkies, stated his wish to wait upon his friend and consignee, 
Monsieur Eose. " All right, my boy ; we've done them brown 
this time," he muttered in a low whisper, as we turned a 
corner w^hich concealed us from the port office, " Did you 
ever see any people politer than these niggers V I was forced 
to acknowledge they exceeded anything in that line I had ever 
encountered. " Well, boy, you don't know anything about it 
yet. You will find some girls here at old Rose's house, who 
will take down anything you have yet seen. But they are not 
Haytien-born, although their mother was. The girls were born 
in Italy, and the old man is also Italian : but because his hair 
curls almost as tight as a nigger's wool, they believe he is 
actually a darkey; and as it is his interest to make them 
believe so, he helps them to deceive themselves. The old man 
has an immense fortune, and he did talk of giving up business, 
and retiring from the island before long. You will t>o apt to 
get well acquainted with him before we leave port. But 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 103 

above all, I'll bet the whole of my venture that you will fall 
in love with the girls before you are acquainted an hour." I 
assured him I was not composed of such inflammable material. 
"We shall see," he laughingly responded. 

This conversation brought us to the Maison Rose, at the 
door of which we were greeted by the proprietor himself, who 
cordially welcomed us both, hugging us in turn, and frisking 
and capering about the room with the suppleness of a French 
dancing-master. Taking a seat, we waited for the old gentle- 
man to tire himself out, which he at length did ; and a few 
words in his ear from Capt. Marks was followed by our being 
led some twenty feet below the level of the ground, through 
a number of intricate passages, from which we emerged into 
a dark room. Monsieur Rose, who was our guide, here lit a 
pair of lamps, which were placed upon a table in the centre 
of the room, and retired to order the preparation of chocolate 
for our refreshment. We now proceeded to relieve ourselves 
of our load, which had already become burdensome to me, 
owing to the heat of the weather and the warmth of the super- 
abundance of clothing. 

As Capt. Marks required more time than I did to relieve 
himself, I had an opportunity to examine the place Ave were 
in. Taking a light, I inspected the walls all around, rapping 
here and there with my knuckles ; but they gave forth no 
sound. " You are working to little purpose there, my boy," 
said the captain, laughing ; " you are farther under ground 
now than your friends will ever take the trouble to bury you 
when you die ; you may depend upon that. This room served 
to save the lives of old Rose and his wife during the revolu- 
tion which made the niggers masters of the island. No day- 
light ever enters here. But come, I'm ready ; let's get out of 
this." Extinguishing one of the lamps, and taking the other to 
light us on our way, we soon found ourselves in the same 
room we had first entered, and were presently joined by our 
host, who, after talking a few moments upon the affairs of the 



104 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

island, and such common-place topics, during which time he 
scrutinized me very attentively, turned to Capt. Marks and 
asked him who I was. a He passes for my nephew," said 
Marks, laughing, " and I feel very proud of the relationship, 
and don't think we shall part company very soon." He then 
gave the old gentleman such parts of my history as he had 
learned from me, while I amused myself in turning over the 
leaves of a sort of portfolio or sketch-book, filled with crayon 
drawings of the surrounding scenery of the country, and at 
the foot of the pages the names Celeste and Agnes were alter- 
nately written, which led me to wondering what kind of look- 
ing girls they were. The father, although an Italian, as I had 
been informed, was as dark as any mulatto I had yet encoun- 
tered upon the island ; and if the mother was a negress, as I 
understood hj the term Haytien, I concluded the girls must be 
very dingy beauties. Chocolate and French pastry were now 
announced by a servant as ready in an adjoining room, and at 
the invitation of Monsieur Rose we proceeded thither, where 
we found the lady of the mansion and three daughters, instead 
of two. The mother was a very light quadroon, and but for 
the dusky blur upon her complexion, she would have been 
readily taken for a white woman. Our host, taking each of 
us by the hand, led us forward and presented us to madame. 
She and the captain were old acquaintances, and they bowed 
and exchanged compliments with great cordiality ; after which 
I made my bow, and extended my hand, Yankee fashion. The 
old lady took it very willingly, but instead of shaking it, she 
pulled me upon the sofa alongside of her ; and screaming out 
something in French, the only part of which I could distinguish 
was, petit matelot, she nearly smothered me with kisses, laugh- 
ing all the while like a mad person. I hardly knew whether 
to be vexed or pleased, but sat as patient as a martyr for a 
moment, almost bewildered, and horrified at the smell of her 
breath, which was dreadfully tainted with garlic. Her fondling 
at length ceased ; but still holding my hand, she called Agnes, 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 105 

Celeste, and Pauline, from each of whom I obtained a salute, 
giving one in return. I was then given in charge of the girls 
by the mother, who bade them take good care of me. They 
were indeed, as Capt. Marks had told me, not only the very 
pink of politeness, but likewise very beautiful. Agnes, the 
eldest, I learned from herself, (for in five minutes I was as 
much at home as if I had been brought up in their family,) 
was twenty-four years ol\age, Celeste twenty, and Pauline 
eighteen. They were all brunettes, with regular features, 
straight hair, and flashing black eyes, with forms that would 
have enchanted a Canova, and voices as musical as the softest 
warblings of the flute. 

I thought myself the luckiest dog in the world, and so I 
was ; for no prince in the world was ever waited upon with 
greater care and assiduity. I was seated upon a sofa opposite 
the one occupied by madame, with Celeste on my right, 
Agnes on the left, and Pauline sitting upon a stool before 
me, holding a waiter upon her lap containing chocolate, cakes, 
and candy, of all which they continually pressed me to partake, 
while Madame Pose and the captain were engaged in their 
confab and chocolate all by themselves, at the table at the 
other side of the room. " Now, ze demoiselles like mocsh 
speak ze Eenglesh, monsieur," said madame, addressing me 
from the opposite sofa. " Zey sail be two times een Nouvelle- 
York, an two, tree times een Nouvelle-Orleans. Zey speak 
no moosh Eenglesh. Now zey sail aprender parle Eenglesh 
wis you." This was at least intelligible, and I thought I might 
make out to converse with the girls. So, having eaten and 
drank until I was almost surfeited, and the waiter having been 
replaced upon the table, my fair attendant returned to her seat 
upon the stool. Well, they have been to New- York twice, 
and to New-Orleans twice, and they have all made out to 
understand my questions as to their age. It will be queer 
enough if I do not make out to hold a little conversation. 
Celeste asked me some question which I could not understand. 



106 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The mother tried to explain. In this she failed, and we were 
about to give up in despair, when Pauline darted from the 
room, and presently returned with an English and French 
vocabulary. Looking carefully through the pages, she read, 
" You must tell me how to speak (pronounce) these words." 
She went to work with pencil and paper, and in a moment she 
asked, " How do you like us?" I turned over the leaf, and 
there was the sentence, "I love you dearly." She looked in 
my face and laughed, for on the opposite page was the same 
sentence in French. She interpreted my answer to the com- 
pany, which created a great deal of fun, with many " bons " 
(good) from madame. With the assistance of the book we 
passed an agreeable hour. But at length, as we were about 
Teaving, the old lady cried out, " But monsieur sail nevare tell 
us how moosh years old a votes" (to the girls.) " Oui, ouij 
vraiment /" came from the lips of all simultaneously, and their 
looks plainly told me they wished the information. I answered 
readily, " Quinze ans " (fifteen years.) I had picked up the little 
gold pencil which Pauline had laid down, and wrote the word 
kiss upon a little slip of paper she had just been using. 
Looking over my hand, she said, " Kees — what's dat V- I 
looked at her and laughed. She took the bit of paper in 
her hand, and read again " kees," then looking in my face 
inquiringly, she repeated the question. The temptatation to 
give a practical explanation was too strong to resist ; so throw- 
ing my arm around her neck, I gave a hearty definition of the 
word. She was not offended, but did not seem to take the 
hint, and still demanded the explanation of the word. By this 
time madame, who had been listening and comprehended the 
difficulty, had crossed over to our side and let the two oldest 
daughters into the secret. " Dites-?noi, monsieur" Madame 
winked in return to my inquiring look, and I repeated the kiss 
as heartily as before. Although not offended, the poor girl, 
from the slight shade of sadness which passed over her beauti- 
ful face, apparently thought I was making game of her. — the 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 107 

more particularly as her mother and sisters continued to laugh 
outrageously. 

" Come, my boy, we must be off," said Capt. Marks, "or do 
you feel perfectly at home here V 9 I answered, that if it would 
not be any inconvenience to him, I would remain where I was. 
This was duly interpreted by Mons. Rose, and elicited another 
outburst of merriment from the whole party. " No, no ; I 
cannot spare you yet," cried the captain, " so let's be off." I 
took my hat and was about leaving, when the old gentleman 
called me back. " You don't understand the French fashions 
yet: you must always salute the madame before you leave 
and when you come to the house." I complied, exchanged 
salutes with Celeste and Agnes, and turning to Pauline, I 
asked, "Shall I tell you?" "Out, monsieur:' " C'est kees," 
said I, sealing the explanation upon her lips, amid roars of 
laughter from all sides. Poor Pauline, covering her face with 
her hands and uttering a scream, as the truth flashed upon her 
mind, bounded from the room in one direction and I followed 
Marks the other, and thus ended my first visit to the Maison 
Rose ^ where true hospitality and politeness reigned supreme. 

We walked back the same way that we came, but on re- 
gaining the mole, Marks, who had business, as I have before 
said, at the custom-house, took his way thither, leaving me to 
employ myself the best way I could until his return, which he 
said would be in about an hour. I amused myself for some 
time in watching the motions of the officer in command upon 
the mole. Pie was a fine tall, straight mulatto, of whom I 
had seen several specimens during the morning, wearing the 
same brilliant uniform which at the review on the following 
Sabbath I observed w^as that of the body guard of his excel- 
lency Joseph Boyer^ President of Hayti, who formed the only 
body of decent-looking troops I saw upon the island. I could 
not help observing that the mulattoes held but an inferior rank 
in the affairs of state. In answer to my inquiries subsequently 
made, Mons. Eose informed me that the ruling element upon 



108 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the island was the sooty black ; and I always found that the 
higher the rank of the person the blacker and homelier the 
nigger. I encountered but few mulattoes during my stay who 
held any rank above that of a mere subaltern. 

The officer upon the mole, of whom I was speaking, had 
about a dozen soldiers under his command, who, as was usually 
the case, were as outre in appearance as rags and dirt could 
well make them. They strolled lazily about, apparently for the 
purpose of preserving order, while their chief confined his at- 
tention to the reception of strangers, who were continually 
landing from the various vessels in the harbor. I noticed that 
each one as they landed underwent a scrutiny as rigid as 
he could possibly bestow without rudeness, while at the same 
time the smile and graceful bow were tendered alike to the 
greasy ship's cook and the more dignified captain. The bow 
was invariably given with the elegant chapeau bras raised from 
the head. 

Presently word was given by one of the soldiers that the 
French Admiral was coming. I had noticed the night be- 
fore, when we were entering the harbor, the warlike appear- 
ance of what appeared to be a corvette, anchored outside of 
the fort. Just at that moment my eye fell upon the counte- 
nance of a man I thought I had seen before, sauntering about 
among the crowd who thronged the mole, embracing one, 
laughing at another, and stopping to exchange a word or two 
with a third. At length his eyes met mine and the recogni- 
tion was complete : it was a Capt. Horner, the master of the 
schooner Bee, of Philadelphia, whom I had met and become 
partially acquainted with in Charleston. After shaking hands 
and expressing our mutual satisfaction at meeting, in answer 
to his inquiries I informed him I belonged to the Thamar. 
"Do you?" said he, "then you can tell me where Capt. 
Marks is. I've been looking for him all the morning." I in- 
formed him that the captain would join us presently, and we 
walked to the stairs to see the French Admiral land. The 



P 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 109 

barge, impelled by twelve stout oarsmen, bad now reached the 
landing-place, and the representative of his majesty Louis 
Phillippe, chapeau in hand, ascended the steps, exchanged 
civilities with the officer of the mole, bowed to the crowd, and 
passed on. 

" That fellow had to come to Hayti to learn a lesson in 
politeness," said Capt. Horner, laughing. " How so V I in- 
quired " Why, you see, the niggers owe the French govern- 
ment some three or four millions of dollars, and Boyer, the 
President, wont pay up ; so Louis Phillippe has sent this Ad- 
miral to make him fork over the tin. Well, about three weeks 
ago the Admiral's ship came into the man-of-war roads, and 
after waiting two or three days to let the Haytiens know a 
little about the business he came upon, he sent word ashore 
that he would do himself the honor of waiting upon them the 
next day. He probably thought he should meet with a pub- 1 
lic reception. So the next morning he pulled in his barge to; 
the stairs, and not finding any guard of honor to receive ^im, 
he attempted to pass by the officer of the day stationed here, 
without taking any notice of the very polite manner in which 
he stood hat in hand to salute him. One of these ragamuf- 
fins (making a significant motion toward the black soldiers) 
picked the Admiral's chapeau gently from his head with his 
bayonet, and politely lowered it to the Frenchman's hand, 
who in turn took it from the point of the weapon, with his 
brow, if anything, a shade darker than that of the corrector 
of his manners. He made the amende, however, with a good 
grace to the officer he had slighted, who stood the very pic- 
ture of humility, and witnessed the whole transaction without 
speaking a word. Bows and scrapes without number were 
exchanged, and the Admiral passed on his way, wiser, to say 
the least, than he was before. 

By this time we were joined by Capt. Marks, who appeared 
to be delighted at meeting his old friend. The brig was then 
hailed, and we were soon snugly seated around the cabin table ; 

10 



110 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and after dinner the two skippers indulged in narrating their 
various adventures since they had last met. The day finished 
with a grand carouse, which was kept up until near midnight, 
at which Monsieur Rose and some half a dozen other skippers, 
who came on board towards evening, took part. Brandy and 
claret flowed in abundance, and the segar smoke drove me 
to the deck, where I slept until the bacchanalian crew were 
dispersed or floored. 



i 



CHAPTER X, 



% 



y second trip on shore — Monsieur Rose running the mail — Progress in 
study — Last trip on shore — Leave-takings — Promise to return — Letters 
of introduction — Paulfne — Pere Felix — A gift — The parting — Monsieur 
Rjftp's liberality — Marks, a comforter — Under way— Dispatches — The 
n^lfc— The confession — Marks, a prophet — The Bahama banks — Tro- 
pical fishing — Mississippi water — The tow — Ascending the river — 
Scenery — An alarm — The wreck — New-Orleans by moonlight — The 
fruit dealer— The belligerent cook— Dispose of my venture. 



The morning found Marks sick and sore-headed. He sent 
the steward for me, and I obeyed the call. Raising himself in 
his bunk he said, " I'll tell you what, my boy, this won't do — 
it spoils all : I aint half sober yet. Do you think you can 
venture ashore alone V 9 I answered I would try. " Well, take 
the cook with you, and send him back with some meat and 
vegetables for dinner." I hastily equipped myself with about 
the same quantity of merchandise, and receiving Marks' injunc- 
tion to be on board again by ten o'clock, I called the steward, 
as we sometimes called the cook, (he held both -situations,) and 
requested Mr. Lee to have the boat manned. Once in the boat, 
we put off, and were speedily landed upon the stairs of the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. Ill 

mole. I ascended, closely followed by the cook with his basket. 
At the top I was confronted, hat in hand, by the officer of the 
guard, who courteously returned my salute, and with a kind 
" Bonjour" (good morning,) motioned me to pass on. Proceed- 
ing to the market-square, I soon selected the requisite materials 
for a good dinner, and discharging the cook, I sought my way 
to the Maison Eose, where I was soon at home T*jth my choco- 
late ; and madame and the girls all clustered around me, in- 
quiring, as I conjectured, for Monsieur Eose, whom I had left 
on board, snugly coiled up in a bunk. The assurance that he 
was safe on board of the brig, and that he had been there 
through the night, which I managed to convey to them, relieved 
their minds of any apprehensions upon his account, and we 
soon resumed the lessons of the previous morning. 

I was supremely happy, and it was with extreme regret 
that I noticed the elegant clock upon the sideboard indicating J 
the near approach of nine o'clock. I arose to take my leave, 
the whole family accompanying me. There had been but one 
slight drawback upon my pleasure — my little friend Pauline |p- 
peared somewhat reserved towards me. On gaining the street, 
I offered my arm with a bow, and the smiles returned to her 
face, and her laugh was as silvery as ever. We parted at the 
entrance of the market-plaee, my friends pursuing their way 
to the church, which stands at its head ; and I to the mole, 
where I found the boat in waiting for me. I .soon put Marks 
at ease by my appearance on baard safe and sound. " Eravo ! 
bravo ! my fine fellow !" he shouted at the top of his lungs. " I 
welcome thee back. I have but just got clear of those fellows, 
and was preparing to go on shore to be ready in case of accident 
to you, I loaded Eose," continued he. " The old gent made 
some wry faces at first ; but I soon convinced him he was not 
the right man to be suspected, and at last he consented. He is 
a trump," said Marks; "I watched him with my glass as he 
went up the stairs. He stood as cool as an icicle, talking to 
the captain of the mole after he landed for a full half hour, and 



112 WILD OATS SOWINGS* 

I began to be a little uneasy. He was gone but a few moments 
before I saw you come down." To my inquiry as to whether 
we were to make only one trip a day on shore, he told me it 
was customary for officers of vessels and merchants connected 
with them to go to and fro at any time of day or night ; but 
as they were more particular after sunset, and searched the per- 
sons landing, we should have to do our business during the day. 
"We will go on shore this afternoon, and stay to tea. Rose 
and I are to have a match at billiards, and you can do as 
you please in the evening until eleven o'clock." 

During the twenty-one days we remained at Port au Prince, 
having a continued intercourse with the charming family of 
Monsieur Bose, I fully succeeded in establishing myself in their 
good graces. The girls acquired English, under my tuition, 
with astonishing facility, while I was not less apt in learning 
- French. 

* We had run the whole stock safely on shore, and in the 
meantime the cargo of the vessel had been landed, and a freight 
of coffee and cocoa had been taken on board to be conveyed to 
New-Orleans. The brig was cleared, and we landed for the 
last time to take leave of "Monsieur Kose and his family. Pro- 
ceeding to the house, we found that gentleman and his lady in 
the parlor, and both rose tev welcome us. The merchant to 
whom our return freight belonged, stepped to one of the win- 
dows, taking Marks with him rak the button of his coat, where 



they engaged in conversation. "™kdame took my hand, and 
leading to another room, more richly furnished than the one 
we left, seated herself, and drawing me to her side, while the 
tears started to her eyes, commenced, " Is you gone too, mon 
petit f I answered that I was. " Mon Dieu ! you sail nevare 
venir more." I made her understand that we were to return 
immediately to Port au Prince. " Ah ! mon cher, Fm 'fraid for 
you. You avals a mere ?" (mother.) " Oui, madarne." " Tres- 
bien, (very good ;) you sail go voir (see) votre mere; zen you sail 
venir (come) back." With all my French, I failed to make 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 113 

her understand that I should not be apt to see my mother in 
New-Orleans ; so I let the matter rest. It was pretty evident 
that madame had taken a great liking to me, as she kept strok- 
ing my hair, and her tears flowed freely. I was surprised that 
none of the girls made their appearance, and I at length 
ventured to inquire for them. Madame, pointing to a door 
opposite, arose, and after embracing me, left the room, and I 
did not see her again until my return from New-Orleans. 

I now silently approached the door to which madame 
had pointed, and slowly opening it, discovered Agnes and 
Celeste, the former of whom was dictating a letter, which the 
latter was inscribing on the glazed surface of a sheet of gilt- 
edged pink paper. Each, on my approach, took one of my 
hands, and turning away their faces, burst into tears without 
speaking a word. In regard to the female sex, I am free to 
confess I am very tender-hearted. I did all I could to console 
them, assuring them nothing could induce me to stay long 
away from them ; and after awhile they became composed 
enough to inform me that the letter they were writing was one 
in my favor to a friend of theirs in New-Orleans. But where 
was my little Pauline, as I had learned to call her ? — a right 
which, by the way, had been conferred upon me by the family 
in full conclave. Another door was indicated by a motion of 
Celeste's head, and I quickly opened it, and discovered my 
little friend upon her knees before a small altar, upon which 
stood a madonna and infant, ' and a small crucifix. In her 
clasped hands she held a portion of the rosary with a small 
cross attached to it, which she usually wore around her neck. 
Stepping in lightly, though no Catholic, I knelt by her side and 
kissed the crucifix, which she pressed to my lips. Before I had 
any chance to inquire the cause of these solemnities, she read 
the inquiry in the expression of my countenance, " I tell the 
Holy Mother to guard you, and bring you safe back, I shall 
cry much till you come again, for my father has told me that 
you would come back very soon : I shall pray for you every day, 

10* 



114 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

three times every day, until then. You will know when I 
pray for you, and you must send me a kiss each time." " But 
how will you get it, my sweet friend ?" " O, I have asked St. 
Agnes to bring it to me, and I have promised two wax candles 
for the altar of her shrine ; and Pere Felix (the family confes- 
sor) assures me that I shall have it. But he does not like you ; 
he says you are a heretic : but I know you are not, for you 
have just kissed the cross." " And will kiss it again a thou- 
sand times for your sake," said I, laughing, " but not once for 
that old woolly head." I was going to say more, but the little 
hand upon my mouth stopped me, nor was it withdrawn until 
I had promised not to speak a word more against Pere Felix. 
" I have something for you, aqpj^ou must never part with it," 
said she, disengaging the small gold cross from her rosary 
and attaching it to another string of the consecrated beads. 
" You must wear this always, and then you will remember 
me "—pointing to the cross, on which were engraved the words 
" Souvenez-vous 99 

This conversation, in spite of bad English on the part 
of Pauline, and still worse French on mine, was carried on 
with a celerity that surprised me. I promised compliance 
with all her requests, and then offered for her acceptance some 
little presents which I had purchased for the occasion. 
Although of no value compared to the one which she had 
just made me, they were received with the utmost delight, as 
were likewise the trifles which I presented to Agnes and 
Celeste, each of whom gave me one in return ; that of the 
latter being the sketch-book which I have mentioned before. 
I received, likewise, a souvenir from madame, through the 
hands of Mons. Rose : this was a splendid breastpin. 

The time had come for us to take our leave, and Mons. 
Rose having declared his intention to see us under way, we all 
proceeded to the mole in company. I said in company, but 
Pauline and myself managed to keep some fifty yards behind 
the rest, and we proceeded down the mole so slowly that 



• 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 115 

Marks was obliged to call to me to bear a hand. When we 
reached the stairs, I turned to my companion, gave her my 
salute, and received hers in return. Though the place was 
thronged with people, I saw not one of them. It seemed to 
me like the sundering of soul and body. Mons. Eose took 
charge of Pauline, whispering in my ear, " Courage !" Tl\e 
word "Adieu" fell from the dear girl's lips, and I sprung into 
the boat amid shouts of " Bravo!" and "Bon voyage!" from the 
crowd upon the mole. 

Alongside, a large boat was discharging a load of oranges, 
pines, and bananas. "This is your property," said Capt. 
Marks, turning to me as we reached the deck. " Eose char- 
tered the brig without reserve^ and has given you the boat 
upon deck. You will make a handsome penny by the operation. 
You are a lucky scamp. It was as much as I could do to get 
off with you. Eose swore he would have you at any rate ; 
but I told him that I could not do without you this trip, so 
the old man will be after you when you return. Why, what's 
the matter with you, man % You look like a long-fasting friar. 
Come into the cabin ; you'll soon get over it." But I could 
not move from the deck. I plainly saw every one upon the 
mole, and my dearest friends still lingered there. 

Capt. Marks quickly prepared himself, and the pilot having 
come on board, the process of unmooring commenced. We 
were soon under way, and ere long I waved my handkerchief 
the last time, as the forms of those I was leaving became 
undistinguishable. We shot past the fort, and commenced 
making more sail, when a gun from the French Admiral's ship 
gave us notice that she wished to communicate. We hove- 
to, and in a few moments received a package of documents, 
which Capt. Marks was politely requested to deliver to the 
French Consul in New-Orleans, to be forwarded to the French 
embassy at Washington. Again we commenced our journey 
oceanward, and at sunset discharged the pilot with a liberal 
supply of salt pork. The course was given, the watch set, and 



116 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

I retired to my state-room, for Marks had given me possession 
of one. I noticed latterly that he had been less free with me. 
He had always been kind, never having spoken a harsh word to 
me since we had been acquainted ; but now he appeared to 
look upon me more in the light of a companion. Here for 
the first time I read the note I had received from Capt. 
Marks, as we were passing the fort. It contained the compli- 
ments of Mons. Rose, and requested my acceptance of the fruit 
before-mentioned, with his hopes that it would turn out a 
lucky venture ; ending with " God bless you! do not Ml to 
return." " I do not need spurring upon that account," said I, 
half aloud. " I'll go your bail for that," said Capt. Marks, 
laughing. ' ' Now, be honest ; how long was you acquainted with 
mam'selle before you found yourself head and ears in love with 
her?" "Not five minutes," said I, without hesitation, "I 
shall take rank as a prophet then, at once. You remember 
my prediction on our way to the Maison Rose." " Yes," said 
I. "Well, what was your answer?" " Je ne comprehends 
pas, capitaine : let's change the subject, if you please," I 
responded, half vexed at his raillery. ' ' Well, well ; you are 
on the right track, so I'll let you slide." 

Our passage was unmarked by any circumstance worthy 
of note. The breeze was fair and the weather delightful. 
The crossing of the famous Bahama Banks did not fail to at- 
tract my notice, and the novel sight of the coral branches and 
the spreading sea-fan upon the pure white sandy bottom of 
the sea, at the depth of ten or twelve fathoms, seen with as 
much distinctness and accuracy as if the objects were upon the 
surface of the water instead of beneath it, afforded me a 
pleasure which I had often read of and desired to see. Occa- 
sionally the view would be intercepted by the passage of a huge 
shark or the snout-headed porpoise, while at others the sunny 
wave would be alive with immense shoals of the lesser species 
of the denizens of the briny deep, from the many-hued dolphin 
to the minnow. These last, which swarmed in millions around 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 117 

the shank of our rudder, where they appeared to have sought 
protection from the ravenous jaws of their foes, I concluded 
would make good bait ; and with a sieve, borrowed from the 
steward, I succeeded in capturing nearly half a peck from the 
cabin windows. Baiting our hook with these, we in a short 
time caught several hundred bonitas, dolphin, and suckers. 
These last have a flat ribbed head resembling a rasp, by which 
they adhere so close to the bottom of a vessel that half an hour's 
prying with a boat-hook will scarcely break their hold. They 
feed upon the barnacles adhering to the bottom of the vessel. 

The morning of the fifth of February, which was likewise 
the fifth since we had left Port au Prince, the large stretches 
of water impregnated with Mississippi mud, gave me the first 
notice of our near approach to the great father of waters. I 
ascended the rigging, firmly persuaded that land was in sight, 
although Capt. Marks had told me it was near fifty miles 
yet to the Balize. I was greatly surprised to find that the dis- 
colored water was fresh, although surrounded with water 
nearly as salt as pickle. From the mast-head I counted seven 
of these isolated bodies of fresh water, out of one of which 
we filled an empty cask. A tcaspoonful of pulverised alum car- 
ried the mud to the bottom and left the water as clear as crystal. 

At noon we made the land and ran in, accompanied by 
some twelve or fifteen other vessels, large and small, where we 
were soon taken in tow by the Grampus steam-tug. It was a 
great curiosity to me to see a " tow," as it is called. The one 
of which we formed part was a fair sample. On either side of 
the tow-boat was lashed a ship of from seven hundred to one 
thousand tons ; outside of these a bark and a brig ; while 
three brigs and a large schooner brought up the rear, all towed 
by strong hawsers or cables. This fleet was forced against the 
wind, and against a current running some five miles, at the 
rate of two and a half miles per hour. 

At night the wind increased to a gale, and we were obliged 
to anchor. Towards morning it moderated, and again we got 



118 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

under way. It was Sunday, bright and beautiful. The low 
marshy banks of the river were densely crowded with magno- 
lias and cypress-tress of immense size, whose ponderous weight 
the land seemed scarcely able to bear. The trees were draped 
with moss, which hung in graceful festoons or waved in 
streaming pendants from every limb ; while the hum of insects 
and the notes of the feathered songsters on shore, and the bel- 
lowing cough of the escape-pipe on board of the tug, heard 
above the loud cries of the sailors or the orders of the officers, 
as the fastenings were inspected or yards braced so as to offer 
the least obstruction to the wind, formed a picture which was 
ever varying, as reach after reach of the river was passed. As 
the steward called us to breakfast we passed Fort Jackson, 
upon the left side of the river, and I went below as hungry as 
a shark, from the continued excitement of the morning. We 
were hardly seated at the table when a stunning report upon 
deck, followed by a loud outcry, greeted our ears. "We sprang 
from the untouched breakfast, overturning the table, and as I 
went up the companion-way I cast my eyes over my shoulder, 
and perceived the cook upon his knees among broken frag- 
ments of plates, cups, saucers, and dishes, while coffee, warm 
biscuits, potatoes, and fried ham and eggs, lay rolled together 
in one grand dish of salmagundi. I could not forbear laugh- 
ing, though at the expense of my breakfast, when I perceived 
the air of bewilderment upon the face of our cook. The 
cause of all this racket was the parting of our hawser. 
The anchor was let go, and the tug drifting down to us, we 
again made fast, and then sat down to what the cook had 
managed to save from the wreck. 

My first view of New-Orleans was at night. It was near 
twelve o'clock before we dropped our anchor, and in the bright 
moonlight the city made a most imposing appearance. I 
stood gazing at the steamboats as they ran in to the landing, 
and listening to the songs of the firemen tending the furnaces, 
until, chilled by the night air, I turned in, but not to sleep. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 119 

11 Going ashore, captain ?" I inquired at the first movement 
I heard him make towards turning out. " No ; I guess we 
will haul into the Tier first," (the "Tier," as it was called, or 
more properly the " Picayune Tier," was a space between the 
lower ship-landing and that of the steamboats, and was de- 
voted exclusively to small brigs and schooners,) " and that will 
take some time." Vexed at the delay, which I saw was un- 
avoidable, I rolled over, and was soon fast asleep again. 

" Say, John, you sleepe too much." I turned, and beheld 
a sallow-faced, big-whiskered fellow standing beside my bunk, 
with his hand upon my shoulder. " Who are you?" I de- 
manded, rubbing my eyes to get them open. " jf>se Maria 
Sanchez, para servir de usted" he answered. " What's that I" 
said I to the cook, who was busy in the cabin. " Dun 
no, buckra," said the darkey, laughing heartily; " guess 
he's a Spanish man ; he said something 'bout the United 
States service." The Spaniard turned with a look of con- 
tempt upon him. " Ah ! you speake Spanish ; yes, yes, you 
speake Spanish, caramba !" " Do you want me, sir V I in- 
quired. " Si senor, (yes, sir,) I buy de fruit, de baranga, de 
banana, de pineapple, de cocoanut, de segar, de monkey; I 
buy dis nigger," pointing to the cook. " Well, what will you 
give for him?" Holding his nose, as I have seen some of the 
buyers at the slave-market do, and walking around him : " You 
no quiero comprar" (I don't want to buy him.) "Why?" I 
asked, laughing. " 'Cause he's yam-footed." This roused the 
darkey's ire, and had it not been for Capt. Marks, who just 
entered the cabin, there would have been a fight. Ey the way, 
the trip to New-Orleans was rather an unfortunate one for 
the poor darkey, for he was marched to the calaboose that af- 
ternoon for safe keeping, the law forbidding any free blacks 
from entering the State. 

My fruit netted me altogether sixty-seven dollars, without 
having any trouble with it, as the purchasers unloaded it 
themselves. 



120 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



CHAPTER XI. 

My credentials — Monsieur Dufilho — A French welcome — Introduction-— 
Quizzing — Routine pour passer le temps — Off again — Marks' reception 
by the Dufilhos — Passage — The British middy — Marks shows up the 
monkey — Part company with the cutter — Arrive at Port au Prince — 
Another trip and return — Accept the offer of Monsieur Rose — Small 
pox — The vktims marked — The last run — The accident and arrest — 
Examination-r-The brig seized — The calaboose — Blanketing — My com- 
panions — Disagreeable reflections — Re-examination and re-committal 
— Improved condition — A ruse — Miss Nancy — Hope dawns — The fatal 
news — Its effect. 

I found the letter which Agnes, and Celeste had written, 
in the portfolio given me by the latter, and I commenced pre- 
parations for delivering my credentials in person. Donning 
my best, and brushing up as spruce as a dandy, I took the 
missive, which was directed, " A Monsieur Dufilho, rue de 
Chartres," and gaining the levee, a few steps brought me to 
the direction. On delivering the letter, I took a chair, which 
was courteously offered, and sat down to see what effect 
it would have upon the old gentleman. Tearing open the 
envelope, he took from it two sheets of paper neatly folded, 
which I recognized by their color, and laying one upon his 
desk, commenced reading the other. Presently I saw by the 
twitching of the old gent's face that he was getting warm, 
and in a moment more he came dancing round the counter, 
exclaiming in a strong French accent, " My dear sir, how do 
you do ? I am ver happy to be acquainted wis you ; " and 
catching me in his arms, he hugged and whirled me around 
the store until I was dizzy. The excited Frenchman declared 
himself and all he had at my disposal, and at once insisted 
I should take up my quarters at his house during my stay 
in New- Orleans. Without waiting for my answer, Mons. 
Dufilho seized me by the hand, and after calling a boy to at- 
tend to the store, dragged me up a pair of back stairs and 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 121 

ushered me into a large and handsomely furnished parlor, 
where his family were assembled in a few seconds, to each of 
whom I was formally introduced. 

" These are the dear friends of les demoiselles Rose," said 
Mons. Duhliio, smiling, as he presented the yet unopened note 
to two fair and graceful-looking young ladies, whom he intro- 
duced as his daughters ; u and this is my son Francis, who 
has been twice with my friend Rose at Port atf Prince." I 
was introduced to madame, who, like a true French matron, 
had numberless questions to ask, and long ere I had an oppor- 
tunity to excuse myself to her, I saw that the young people 
were impatient to have their turn at interrogating me. The 
lady observed my uneasiness, and at last said, " Well, you 
may go now ; but I have a great many more questions to ask 
you, so you must lay in a good stock of patience. I know 
the young people do not like to be kept long by an old woman, 
when there are younger ones about," she added, laughing. 
Assuring her that I should always take great pleasure in 
gratifying her wishes to the best of my ability, I saluted 
madame with due ceremony, according to custom, and the 
next moment was engaged in answering the thousand-and-one 
questions of the sisters and their brother. 

An hour and a half passed very pleasantly, though not 
without some little confusion on my part when they questioned 
me in regard to Pauline and her sisters, as I had noticed a 
great many sly winks passing between them. At last the 
younger one asked which I preferred. Not answering very 
readily, she exclaimed, " I declare, he is a Catholic ! Pray, 
ecccusez, monsieur ;" and reaching out her hand, (the open col- 
lar of my shirt having exposed the rosary about my neck,) 
" I have seen these amber beads before, I believe. Ah, yes, 
(pulling gently until the cross was exposed to view,) Souvenez- 
vous. Tres-bien, monsieur ; you need not mind my question. I 
will send them word when you return." I was relieved from 
any further embarrassment by the summons to dinner, after 

11 



122 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

which the whole family retired for the usual s'esta. I remained 
with this estimable family fourteen days, during which time 
I was treated with the greatest hospitality and politeness. I 
had been introduced to all their friends and relatives, attended 
balls, theatres, parties, etc., in their company; and had my 
destination been anywhere else, I should have been very re- 
luctant to part with them. 

It was on* the morning of the 22d February that I received 
notice to be on board by twelve o'clock, when the Thamar 
was to haul out of the tier. From the moment breakfast was 
dispatched until eleven o'clock I was engaged in receiving 
presents, messages, etc., for our friends upon the island, and 
numberless were the pressing invitations to me to return, and 
equally many were the apprehensions that I should forget them 
and never come back. Each one of the family had a memento 
of the visit for my acceptance. Monsieur Dufilho and his son 
accompanied me on board, and remained until the gangway 
staging was thrown off the bow and we were made fast to the 
steam-tug. At half-past one we fairly commenced our return 
trip, the eight days of which were spent pretty much as were 
those of our former passage from Boston to Hayti — that is, in 
arranging contraband goods. Captain Marks was in high 
spirits, and was much pleased with the account I gave him of 
my entertainment. He had only required my services twice 
during our stay at New- Orleans, and at those times but for 
the space of half a day. He had visited the Dufilhos twice, 
upon their invitation, and expressed himself much pleased with 
them. Monsieur and madame were delighted with him, but 
the young ladies thought him rather rnde in his manners ; 
which they laughed at, however, when their father explained 
to them the difference between an old sea-dog and the more 
cultivated manners of their city merchants. 

The only variety to our passage was in falling in with a 
small armed cutter, (sloop,) commanded by a midshipman, 
which had been dispatched by the Port Admiral at Jamaica to 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 123 

cruise among the islands for piccaroons and smugglers. The 
officer boarded us for the purpose of hearing what news we 
had. It being quite calm, he took dinner with us, by the invi- 
tation of Marks, at which the health of his majesty King 
William the Fourth was drank with much ceremony. His 
majesty's officer was a great brag ; and Capt. Marks having, 
as he afterwards told me, imparted tjie information that he 
(the captain) was an Englishman, he gave full vent to his arro- 
gance and vanity, boasting of the superior equipment of the 
vessels of the British navy and of the prowess of their sea- 
men ; in all of which Marks fully concurred, frequently coin- 
ciding with him to that extent, that I was puzzled to make out 
what he meant. Pie caught my look of surprise, at last, and 
with a sly wink to me, he pushed the brandy over to the offi- 
cer's side of the table, who, notwithstanding he had already 
helped himself three times, was nothing loth to take a fourth 
glass, after which he favored us with the " Death of Nelson," 
a song familiar to most persons. By this time a light breeze 
sprung up, and the king's cutter forged ahead and hove-to 
alongside of our vessel, when we assisted our hero upon deck 
and from thence into his boat. We could hear the notes of 
" Eule Britannia" until we saw his majesty's representative 
parbuckled up the side of the cutter and passed into the cabin 
by his gallant crew, as drunk a man as ever I beheld. Our 
course lying in different directions, we parted company at 
once — the cutter for Great Abaco, and we for the eastern end 
of Cuba. 

On the third of March we moored ship in our old berths 
and in less than an hour I was receiving the congratulations 
of my dear friends at the Maison Eose. We sailed again upon 
the loth for New-Orleans, and returned to Port au Prince in 
April. By this time I had become thoroughly acquainted with 
most of the officers upon duty at the mole, and with our 
arrival commenced the old business of smuggling, of which I 
was getting tired, and nothing but my friendship for Marks 



124 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

could have for a moment induced me to disregard the offers of 
Monsieur Eose to take up my residence with them. However, 
this was my last trip, by express agreement with Marks him- 
self, and a clear ship was to discharge me from any farther 
obligation. 

But it was not my destiny to become a Haytien. The 
fifth day after our arrival, the small-pox made its appearance, 
and among the first persons attacked by the pestilence were 
Celeste and Pauline, the rest of the family having had the 
disease. It appeared in its most malignant form and scores 
were swept away daily. I was dismayed, and all of my re- 
quests to monsieur and madame to be allowed to visit the un- 
fortunate girls were met by the most decided refusal. I had 
never had the disease, and they were certain I would take it 
were I permitted to enter the sick-room. The time passed 
heavily with me. I still continued to assist my employer in 
his venture, without taking any notice of our progress, or of 
the lapse of time. 

One morning I was roused from my bunk by a sudden call 
from the captain. Upon the transoms were scattered several 
packages, mostly of cheap jewelry. " There, Wad," said 
Marks, " is the last of the venture : will you take them, or 
shall If Anxious to get on shore, I accepted the mission, 
and hastily secreting the goods about me, I sprang into the 
boat and in a moment was landed at the stairs. In ascending 
them my foot caught upon the edge of the second step from 
the top of the flight, and falling forward, my left knee came 
in contact with the edge of the topmost stair, and with the 
strain the strings of my drawers burst, and four small pack- 
ages rolled upon the steps. In an instant they were seized by 
one of the soldiers on duty, who sprang upon the stairs. 
The packages were transferred to the officer in command, and I 
was marched off to the office of the captain of the port, where 
I was thoroughly searched. Besides the four packages men- 
tioned, they took possession of four others of the same descrip- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 125 

tion of goods, one package of six razors, and one containing a 
dozen pairs of scissors. The cost value of all was about fifty 
dollars. In reply to the interrogations of the captain of the 
port, I asserted that the goods were my own private property, 
brought to the island without the knowledge of the master of 
the vessel to which I belonged. My story was believed, as a 
matter of course, until something further was ascertained. In 
the meantime a detachment of soldiers was dispatched on board 
of the Thamar. 

After a rigid examination and cross-examination from the 
various officials of the port and customs, I was ordered to pri- 
son. Escorted by a guard of black soldiers, I was soon 
taken to the calaboose, where I found myself in a moment 
surrounded by a choice company of villains of the worst 
stamp, including whites, blacks, and mulattoes of every shade. 
There were about fifty, all told ; and as I was pushed forward 
into the crowd through the open door, I noticed the dark 
scowls given me by my new companions as I stepped into the 
room, which was reeking with filth. The door was closed, and 
the next moment an old filthy blanket was thrown over my 
head, shrouding me in total darkness, and my arms were 
pinned to my side by a giant embrace. I essayed to call out, 
but a violent punch in the ribs soon silenced me, and I submit- 
ted quietly to my fate. Their object, evidently, was plunder. 
Not finding any, (my pockets having been relieved of their 
contents by the port officers,) they finally released me by a 
violent thrust into one corner of the room, blanket and all. 
When I had succeeded in extricating myself, the whole hive 
were in motion — talking, laughing, and singing, with the most 
perfect sang froicl. Upon my demanding who were the per- 
sons that had been rifling my pockets, no one could tell ; so I 
was forced to give up any farther inquiries. 

Some five or six hours passed away — long and dreary hours 
were they to me, to be shut up with such a herd, and in such 
a place, where the air w r as tainted with pollution and the 

11* 



126 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

arched roof echoed back the sounds of riot and blasphemy — 
uncertain as to what would be my fate, or how long my im- 
prisonment might last. I wondered what my friends at the 
Maison Rose might think, upon hearing of my detection, for 
Monsieur Rose had long before told me that no one was 
in the secret of our operations besides himself; and from the 
knowledge I had of the character of the girls, I concluded I 
should receive but little mercy at their hands ; for I was aware 
I could not justify myself without implicating their father, 
which I felt I could not do. At length, wearied and sick, 
both in body and mind, I sought the quietest part of the 
room — a low sloping banquette, raised from the floor, and evi- 
dently intended for the prisoners to sleep upon. Here, seating 
myself, I was just falling asleep, when the door opened, and 
I heard my name loudly called by a voice which I knew 
could be none other than that of Capt. Marks. I was taken 
into the office of the jailor, and there confronted with the 
captain in the presence of a large number of Haytien dig- 
nitaries, and after a long examination was again ordered to 
the den I had left. To all their questions I gave substan- 
tially the same answers that I did to the captain of the port. 
Monsieur Rose, who was present and took a great interest in 
my case, made an application for better quarters for me ; and 
upon offering to pay for the concession, I was taken to a small 
square room which faced the market-place, and permission 
was likewise given to Marks to supply me with provisions 
daily. Here, after seeing me safely bestowed, he delivered me 
a long, and doubtless to the Haytien officers, a very severe 
lecture upon the wicked course I had been guilty of. But still 
promising to do the best for me he could, as an uncle should 
do for his nephew, and also promising to send me a bed before 
night, he took his leave and left me to my own reflections, 
which, all the circumstances considered, were anything but 
pleasant. Marks did not forget me. Ere the sun had finished 
his daily course I was supplied with a mattrass and the neces- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS, 127 

sary covering, a bountiful supply of provisions, and a couple 
of books to amuse me during my imprisonment, which I began 
to feel assured would not be of long continuance, judging 
from the willingness shown by the officials to make these con- 
cessions in my favor. 

My first night in prison was anything but comfortable, 
owing to the sultriness of the room where I was confined, and 
I welcomed with joy the first rays of dawn. The morning 
brought the steward of the brig with one breakfast and 
Mons. Eose's servant with another, with a whispered injunc- 
tion to keep up my spirits and make myself as comfortable as 
I could, and leave the rest to my friends, assuring me of a 
speedy release. At ten o'clock I was again visited by one of 
the government officers, who restored my purse and watch, 
and brought me a supply of writing materials, telling me that 
if I wished to make any communication to Capt. Marks I 
could do so. I saw at once the drift of this manoeuvre, and re- 
solved they should be no wiser on that account. I wrote, 
however, a long penitential epistle to the captain upon the 
subject of my delinquency, and another to Monsieur Eose, im- 
ploring the continuance of his efforts in my behalf. These 
were directed and sealed up, and passed into the hands of the 
jailor to be forwarded. But it is needless to add, neither of 
those gentlemen received them. They never went farther 
than the office of the captain of the port. 

In the afternoon, I received a visit from Miss Nancy, our 
bumboat woman, with whom I had always kept upon very 
good terms. She staid with me the most of the afternoon, 
till opportunity offered to deliver a note she had smuggled in 
from Marks, in which I was informed that I should be kept in 
prison until the brig was ready for sea, and was then to be 
sent on board, with the injunction to leave the island and 
never dare to set my foot upon Haytien ground again, or to 
enter one of their ports at my peril, death being the penalty 
of my disobedience. 



128 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

I judged by my kind friend's manner that she had some 
intelligence to communicate which very much grieved her ; 
and anxious to solve the problem, I had asked a number of 
times for an explanation, but she seemed reluctant to answer. 
At last, happening to think of my friends at Maison Kose, I 
inquired if she had heard anything of the family. Walking 
up directly in front of me, fixing her eyes upon mine, and 
laying a hand upon each shoulder, she replied in a low voice, 
" Dey's bqfe done gone, ma picamrmy buckra" It is useless for 
me to attempt to describe my feelings upon receiving this 
information ; and when Monsieur Rose broke the sad tale to 
me the next morning, after following the remains of his two 
daughters to their last resting-place, my calmness astonished 
him. In truth, the anguish of the preceding night had all but 
destroyed my reason. During the remainder of my imprison- 
ment, which lasted eight days, I received frequent visits from 
my friends. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Notice of liberation — The escort — The parade — President J. P. Boyer 
— The mulatto condemned — The marching salute — The yard of execu- 
tion — The negro priests — Execution of the criminal — My release — 
Conveyed on board — Despair — Intoxication — Announce my determina- 
tion to quit the Thamar — Marks opposes my design — My last visit to 
the Dufilhos — Settlement with Marks — The invitation — The fountain — 
Introduction to Marks' friends — Young Horner — A cruise in the cres- 
cent city — The roulette and faro bank — Its scenes — I try my luck — 
Marks a winner — The Kentuckian — I'm cleaned out — A fit of despera- 
tion — The gendarmes — Luck changed — I come off with all the honors. 

It w;as upon Saturday, March 21st, that I received notice 
to be in readiness at ten o'clock the following morning, when 
I was to be released from prison. Anxiety and distress of 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 129 

mind had reduced me almost to a skeleton, and the pallor of my 
countenance, as I passed into the open air the next morning, 
excited the commiseration of all who beheld me. A guard of 
soldiers were drawn up on either side with fixed bayonets, into 
the centre of which myself and four others were conducted. 
A moment more, and the guard closed around us, and the 
order was given to march. A large body of troops were resting 
on their arms along the three sides of the public square, 
which were occupied with buildings. Our course was directed 
to the head of the place, where the President's guards were 
drawn up before the cathedral, the state carriage of the 
chief of the republic occupying a position some thirty or forty 
yards in advance. The member of his council and a brilliant 
staff were formed in order upon either side of the equipage, 
directly in front of which, and within speaking distance of his 
excellency, w r e halted. Our guard opened their ranks, and 
troops stood to their arms, and the colors were lowered in 
presenting arms, the band struck up a national air. The 
salute to the President, and again all became still. One 
of our number, a tall, elegantly-formed mulatto, such as I 
have formerly described as composing the guard, the uni- 
form of which he wore, was now marched forward to within a 
few feet of the carriage, where he was addressed for a moment 
by the President in a low tone of voice. When he returned 
to his former place, I noticed that the bright sallow of his 
complexion was replaced by a dusky, livid hue, while his 
restless eyes told a tale of mortal fear which was distressing to 
look upon. The remaining three were now taken forward. 
Being evidently of a lower degree, but few words were spoken to 
them. They returned, and I was taken to the same spot, 
where the old gentleman, with a severe brow, read me a lecture 
in French, of which, from his hurried manner and my fears, 
I did not understand one word. A paper was now delivered 
to an official upon his right, and with a wave of his hand I 
was conducted back to my old stand. 



130 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The bands, of which there were three upon the ground, 
now struck up : the troops broke into marching column, and 
passed in review before the chief. As the last battalion passed 
the carriage, the guard, which still surrounded us, re-formed 
their square, and, preceded by a squad of four drummers and 
two trumpeters, we were marched to a large building in a street 
named, as I was told, Patrona. Through this building we 
reached a yard already lined with troops, a party of twelve of 
whom rested upon their arms in the centre of the area. At 
the first glance around, I noticed Capt. Marks and Mons. Eose 
engaged in conversation with some gentlemen, who I learned 
were consuls of different nations. I did not like the aspect of 
things at all, and in spite of the looks of encouragement given 
me by my friends, my spirits began to flag ; when I saw two 
burly negro priests in surplices walk into our little squad, and 
each taking the mulatto by the shoulder, led him to the lower 
end of the yard, about ten paces in front of the party resting 
in the centre of the area; and while the priests were talking to 
the poor fellow, the jail- birds, brought for the purpose, pinioned 
his arms behind his back. This done, the padres left him, 
the firing-party shouldered arms, and an officer ordered the 
condemned prisoner to kneel. He obeyed. I closed my eyes 
upon the scene until the ringing report of the«muskets struck 
my ear, when I opened my eyes just as the mangled body of 
the unfortunate man fell to the ground. He had sprung, I 
was told, full eight feet into the air, as the balls struck him. 
The drums rolled and the trumpets sounded their loudest notes ; 
but it was useless — the man had passed away for ever. The 
crime for which he suffered was for introducing counterfeit 
coin into the island, 

A long address was now made to my three companions, and 
they were sent off under a strong guard to prison. The papers 
for my release were then handed to Capt. Marks, who stepped 
forward to receive them ; and I was addressed in mongrel French 
for the space of five minutes, the official stopping at every 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 131 

sentence, to allow Monsieur Rose, who acted as interpreter, to 
translate it. The sum of the whole was, that I had broken 
the Liws of the island in attempting to defraud the revenue of 
its dues, which crime was usually punished by confiscation of 
the vessel, (i. e. where the captain or officers were implicated,) 
and close imprisonment during the pleasure of the established 
authorities ; but that on account of my youth, his excellency had 
been graciously pleased to pardon me, only upon the condition 
of leaving the island and never returning to it again. The 
finishing clause was an emphatic command to beware how I 
infringed upon the conditions of my release, and the assurance 
that my second offense against the laws of the land would be 
summarily punished, as the Haytien laws were not to be broken 
with impunity. " You are now free. Adieu, my friends." 

We were then escorted to the mole by two military officers, 
where we found the barge belonging to the port office in wait- 
ing. In this we were conveyed to the brig, the deck of which 
was half full of black soldiers, of whose presence Marks was 
now relieved, much to his joy, as they had been quartered upon 
him since the first day of my arrest. Our escort from the 
arsenal remained on board of the brig until we were under way 
the next morning, their sole object being to prevent my leav- 
ing the vessel. Mons. Rose remained with us likewise, but there 
was no carousing, as formerly. For my part, I longed for the 
moment of departure ; for I began to hate the very sight of 
even those places I had formerly most delighted to gaze upon ; 
and during the day I managed for the first time in my life to 
drink to intoxication, % 

When I awoke from the swinish sleep occasioned by the 
excess, I found the brig under way, and already some five miles 
outside of the fort. Springing into the rigging, I turned my 
eyes for the last time upon the place which I felt had been a 
paradise to one. For a few moments I strove to make out 
Borne loved and familiar object, but the distance was already 
too great, and with an aching head and heavy heart I de- 



132 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

scendecl to the deck, and seating myself upon the companion, 
gave full vent to the tide of sorrow which almost swelled my 
heart to bursting. Capt Marks, who stood but a few paces 
from me, wisely refrained from interfering until the paroxysm 
had begun to subside ; but at length stepping up to me, and 
laying his hand gently upon my shoulder, he said : " Come, 
Wad, my boy, cheer up ; the world is wide, and you are young 
yet. Don't take things so much to heart ; we can do as well 
somewhere else, as at Port au Prince; and if you only stick 
to me as you have done, your fortune's made." I mentally 
resolved never to sail another voyage with him, but I did not 
tell him so, as I wished to remain friends with him, for he had 
afosays treated me kindly, even generously, and left nothing 
undone to relieve me from the ugly predicament I had been in, 
and from which I had so luckily escaped. 

Wafted by gentle winds we glided over the bay for the 
last time, and before night our masts were bending to the 
breeze under their full complement of canvas, and the Thamar 
once more laved her prow in the blue waves of the Carribean 
Sea. During this passage, the winds being more favorable, we 
ran down the south side of Cuba, and rounding Cape San 
Antonio, shaped our course direct for the Balize. We sighted 
the cape, and in thirty-six hours we were in tow once more 
for New-Orleans. During the passage up the river I informed 
Marks that I was tired of the business, and that I had con- 
cluded to leave the vessel, at the same time putting him in 
mind of our former agreement, in connection with Mons. 
Rose's expressed wish that I should remain in Hayti. He 
acknowledged that I had a perfect right to quit the vessel if I 
chose, but at the same time made use of every argument he 
could think of, to induce me to remain with him. I steadily 
refused every offer he made, and the subject dropped for the 
time, he being called away to his duties. I was agreeably sur- 
prised at the manner in which he treated the announcement 
of my intended departure, as I had anticipated a storm ; but 



• 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 133 

on the contrary, he seemed, if possible, more friendly than 
ever. His looks and the tones of his voice were the same as 
usual. " Come, Wad, let's dive and take a nip," greeted me. 
This was his usual way of inviting his friends to drink with him. 

Once more I landed in New- Orleans, and wended my way 
to the residence of M. Dufilho, as I had letters intrusted to 
my charge to be delivered to him, otherwise I should have 
avoided him. I was again pressed to make the Creole's house 
my home during my stay ; but having determined to leave the 
city as soon as possible, I declined his kind offers ; promising, 
however, to call upon him daily while I remained. 

I now went on board of the Thamar, and packing up all 
my effects, I sat down to wait for the captain. As my eyes 
glanced around the little cabin, and rested for the last time 
upon the many familiar objects, a feeling of misery and utter 
loneliness came over me and I burst into tears. In this situ- 
ation Marks surprised me. " What ! all packed up already ! 
Hey ! what's this ? Sprung a leak in your upper-works too ! 
Come, come, this won't do ; we are not going to part company 
so soon. You did'nt think it was so hard to part with the 
little barky, did you % But come, cheer up ; we'll have some 
dinner, and then go up town together : I wish to introduce 
you to some of my friends. But if you like, before we start 
we'll have a settlement and square the yards. I want you to 
understand that I do not wish you to remain with the vessel, 
unless it is of your own free will. But that need not interfere 
with our walk up town." To all this I assented, and after 
our meal was dispatched we proceeded with the balancing of 
our accounts, at the conclusion of which I found myself the 
possessor of one hundred and ten dollars, minus a few cents. 
This sum included the money I had already been possessed of, 
the avails of Mons. Kose's generosity, etc. The reader may 
well suppose that I felt not a little proud at finding myself the 
master of such a sum, and for a little while everything else 
was forgotten. 

12 



134 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Our business now being completed, Capt. Marks proceeded 
to equip himself for the contemplated cruise, and all being in 
readiness we proceeded on shore, where, taking my arm, a few 
minutes* walk brought us to the Fountain coffee-house, in 
Chartres-street. Here Marks introduced me to a number of 
his boon companions, mostly captains of various small crafts 
lying in the tier with our vessel ; and as the old yarn was still 
kept up in regard to the relationship between Marks and my- 
self, I was very well received among them, more especially by 
some half dozen of the more confidential cronies of Marks, to 
whom he had related our adventures in Port au Prince. The 
time passed very pleasantly during the afternoon, which was 
spent in conversation, playing at dominoes, etc., as it was not 
customary to commence a carouse before eight o'clock p. M., 
at about which time all were usually ripe for gambling and 
debauchery. 

Among the crowd was a Capt. Horner, commanding a clip- 
per schooner belonging to Philadelphia, which was moored 
beside the Thamar in the tier, of whom I had occasion to 
speak before. This man was accompanied by a boy of about my 
own age, whom the captain gave me to understand was his son. 
Rather liking his company, as being more congenial to one of 
my age, I quickly made his acquaintance, his father frequently 
remarking to us in a laughing way that we must take care of 
each other. This boy was better acquainted with the city 
than I was, and we agreed to take a stroll in the evening. 
Accordingly, after supper we proceeded on our tour, he intro- 
ducing me to the elephant, and I footing the bills. We 
rambled about until eleven o'clock found us at a gambling- 
saloon upon the Old Levee, at the corner of Poydras-street. 

At this time the public gambling-houses were in full blast, 
and the rattling of roulette -balls, and faro-counters could be 
heard in every part of the city. En this saloon I found the 
captain and the rest of his companions, some of whom, in- 
cluding Marks, were deeply interested in the chances of the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 135 

game, while the glittering mass of gold and silver piled up 
before Marks, told that he had been a successful player. The 
features of the gamblers, although then regarded with mere 
curiosity, without any regard to after-thought, are as vivid to 
my memory as if they were witnessed but yesterday. The 
joyous shout of the lucky winner, and the knit brow and 
muttered curse of the desperate loser, formed a picture which 
the artist could but feebly portray. 

My attention was called from this study by a loud yell of 
triumph from Marks, whose clenched fist descended with, the 
weight of a sledge-hammer upon the table, causing everything 
to dance, to the utter discomfiture of the players and banker. 
" Come, boys, let's all go take a drink and lunch. Don't you 
be frightened, old fellow," said he, noticing the alarm of the 
banker, who was evidently about to expostulate at his quitting 
so largely the winner, without giving him a chance to get his 
money back. " Here, give me bills for this," counting pile 
after pile, and pushing them over to the dealer. " Don't you 
be frightened ; I'll give you a sight till daylight." The banker, 
now all smiles and bows, counted over the amount in bills, 
and we proceeded to the refreshment-saloon, where we all 
regaled ourselves with a lunch, and then entered the gambling- 
room once more. 

The play had not proceeded far, when an itching desire to 
try my luck possessed me. The inclination was seconded by 
the persuasions of my companion, who having borrowed a dol- 
lar of me, now triumphantly exhibited twenty dollars, after 
paying back the loan. Thus tempted, I commenced at the 
other end of the table, betting at faro without knowing any- 
thing of the game, and in about an hour I was minus forty 
dollars. Discouraged, I next tried my luck at roulette, at 
which I was more successful, and in a short time I had won 
back all I had lost except four dollars, and now, thoroughly 
elated, I quadrupled my bet. It had been five dollars, now 
it was twenty. With the most intense anxiety I watched the 



136 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

ball. "Thirteen black!" I had bet upon the red. "Hit him 
heavier, young one," said a voice at my elbow. I looked up 
and found a huge lantern -jawed Kentuckian, dressed in blue 
jeans, peering over my shoulder. " Hit him heavier, stranger, 
if you want to win." I put down forty dollars more upon the 
red. Again the whirling ball turned up on the black. My 
money was now more than half gone, and I was inclined to 
go too, and had already turned on my heels, when the voice 
of the Kentuckian arrested me : Cfc Plav'nt you got any more 
rocks, stranger ?" I answered I had. " Well, don't let that 
big-whiskered shark have your money while you can get a 
sight for it." I went back to the table, and continued betting, 
with various success, until one o'clock in the morning, 
"when I found my pockets drained of every cent of money. 
Ere two o'clock, I had borrowed thirty dollars of Marks, and 
lost every cent of it. By this time I was in a phrensy of ex- 
citement, and rushed from the place, cursing my folly and 
utterly careless where I went. I felt that nothing was too bad 
for me, and had I been tossed headlong into the Mississippi, I 
would not have made an effort to save myself. 

Rushing along without heeding any object, I brought up 
head first against the stomach of a gendarme who was 
leaning against a lamp-post, the light being extinguished, 
quietly indulging in a snooze. His unearthly grunt, as he 
pitched into the gutter, and the rattling of his arms as they 
struck the pavement, recalled me to my senses, and with 
visions of the calaboose dancing before my eyes, I dashed along 
up Conti until I reached Chartres-street, and entered the bar- 
room of the " Fountain," just as the proprietor was closing 
the shutters. He eyed me for a moment with a look of vague 
uncertainty, as if doubting whether he had ever seen me be- 
fore ; but at length he appeared to recognize me, and express- 
sing his surprise at my being out at such an early hour, he in- 
quired the cause of my appearance. I informed him of my 
bad luck ; and declaring my intention to have a chance for 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 137 

my money while I was possessed of the means of raising a 
dollar, I took out my watch, and putting it into his hands, re- 
quested him to loan me twenty dollars on it. After examining 
the article, which had cost me forty-five, he counted out the 
money, but advised me not to go near another gambling-house. 
His arguments, however, were all lost. I was furious, and 
"getting possession of the bills, started back. Arrived at the 
saloon, I found the place as crowded as I had left it. Marks 
was still playing, but a glance told me that he was losing, 
and was grossly intoxicated. Walking up to the table, and 
answering the nod of recognition from the dealer, I told him I 
wished to go my whole pile. Pie gave permission, provided it 
was not over one hundred dollars. Upon the instant I threw 
the whole amount I was possessed of upon the " king." The 
third card turned in my favor and my money was doubled. 
I was about to grasp it, when something seemed to stay my 
hand ; and ere I could resolve which to do, the dealer turned 
another " king" in my favor, and I was the possessor of eighty 
dollars. I now picked up the money, and crossing to the 
roulette-table, I cornered ten dollars on four numbers — red 
again. I won ; and thus I played until past six in the morn- 
ing, winning and losing alternately, yet hardly knowing, after 
the first hour, whether I was gaining ground or not, as I 
pocketed my money instead of piling it up before me, retain- 
ing but a small sum in my hand for immediate use. 

After accepting an invitation to honor the place with my 
presence the next evening, I looked around for Marks, whom 
I had missed for some time. The Kentuckian I have before 
mentioned, told me he had called a hack for him about four 
o'clock, and that he had gone with the rest of his friends. 
I was not surprised at his leaving me behind, as I saw they 
were all too much intoxicated to know what they were about. 
Marks had given the Kentuckian a five-dollar bill, and having 
good luck, he managed to increase it to fifty-five. We joined 
company and proceeded to the " Fountain." The proprietor, 

12* 



188 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Mr. Mills, was not up yet, and being shown to a private room, 
I locked the door upon the inside, and stuffed my handkerchief 
through the keyhole and placed the washstand against the 
door. Having thus made everything secure, I stripped off my 
coat, vest, and boots, threw myself upon the bed, and was 
soon locked in a profound sleep. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Congratulations of Mills — His good advice — Marks' mistake — His offer 
rejected — We part friends — Take passage for New-Bedford— Arrival 
— Proceed to New-York — Inducted into the mysteries of Gotham by 
Barker, the blackleg — His expose of the tricks of his profession — His 
conduct and death — The Hayti — Arrive at Mobile — Leave for New- 
Orleans — Try various employments — Eighth of January in New-Orleans 
— Legion de la Louisianne — A new acquaintance and an invitation — 
Capt. Win. Brown — Powder and patriotism — The cigar factory — Capt. 
Brown's offers— The Liberty — Engage in the Texan service — My duties 
— Material for a ship's company — Off for Texas. 

i About twelve o'clock I was awakened by a loud rapping 
on the door, and the voice of Mills, who inquired if I was alive. 
I assured him I was, and springing up, I removed the table 
and opened the door. " Well, my lad, how did you make out 
after you left me this morning ? — cleaned out, ehV I shook my 
head. "No?" said he inquiringly. "No, sir/ 99 I answered 
emphatically. "I'm glad to hear that. Did you win back all 
you had lost ?" I told him to stop a moment, and I would 
ascertain. After washing my face and hands, I sat clown to 
the table and emptied my pockets of gold, silver, and paper, 
the whole forming a pile which surprised me. Mills looked on 
until I had brought out all I could find. "-Well," said he, 
"you're lucky, for once. And now (and as he spoke he moved 
toward the door) now take my advice : have nothing more to 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 139 

do with Marks, Capt. Plorner, or that spurious son of his, and 
keep away from the roulette and faro-tables. Come down, as 
soon as you are ready, and have some dinner.", My money, 
over and above what I had lost, amounted to one hundred and 
fifty-seven dollars, after deducting thirty dollars to pay Marks 
and twenty to redeem my watch. 

Possessed of two hundred and fifty dollars, I once more 
moved round with a light heart, and resolved that I would 
henceforth avoid the gambling-houses as I would a pestilence. 
After dinner, Mills informed me that Marks had been there 
for me, and mentioned that I had been dead-broke the evening 
before. He was not as yet aware of my after-success, and had 
kindly offered to redeem my watch, an offer which was declined 
until I was consulted. About three o'clock Capt. Marks made 
his appearance, accompanied by Capt. Horner. They both 
expressed their sorrow for my ill luck the night before, Marks 
assuring me that as I would now be obliged to remain with 
the brig, he would not press me for the payment of his loan, 
at the same time tendering me five dollars for present use. I 
declined his offer, and gave him to understand that I should 
not alter my resolution in regard to quitting the vessel. To 
this he replied by giving me the choice of signing a new con- 
tract, or going to the calaboose for debt. 

The contract wasi produced, ready drawn up, requiring 
three months' farther service from me, and stepping to the 
door, he beckoned to an officer who was passing. The affair 
was explained to this person, who informed me that I must 
pay the debt or go to prison. To the surprise and confusion of 
Marks and Horner, I now produced a roll of bank-notes to the 
amount of two hundred dollars, and after displaj-ing it to their 
astonished gaze, I returned the roll to my pocket, and laying 
two doubloons upon the table, requested Marks to hand over 
the change. This he did mechanically, without speaking a 
word, and we all took a drink and parted friends. I deposited 
all my paper money in the hands of Mills, receiving therefor 



14:0 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

acknowledgment before witnesses, and then, accompanied by 
him, we proceeded to the brig, from which my baggage was 
quickly transferred to the " Fountain." 

Towards evening the two captains made their appearance, 
attended by the bogus son of Horner, whom I sharply told to 
keep company with his father, giving the reputed father to 
understand that I had some suspicion of their relationship, 
and renouncing all connection with Marks. This put an end 
to any hopes Marks entertained of either coaxing or forcing 
me to remain with him, and I was now fairly rid of his impor- 
tunities. During the few days I remained in New-Orleans I 
kept up my intimacy with Mills, rarely leaving the house 
without being accompanied by him, or some trusty acquaint- 
ance to whose care he confided me. 

It was now the 25th of April, and becoming tired of loiter- 
ing away my time in idleness, I took passage in the schooner 
Agate, of New-Bedford, to which port the vessel was bound ; 
and after a tedious passage of forty-five days, during twenty- 
one of which we were becalmed between the Balize and the 
Tortugas, (lying off Cape Florida,) we arrived at our destined 
port, and I again stepped upon the soil of New-England. 

I now proceeded by the way of Fall River and Providence, 
taking passage from the latter place on board of a sloop to 
New- York. Upon arriving in that city, having a large part 
of my money still in my pocket, and being a stranger to the 
place, I determined to see the sights — in which resolution I 
w r as strengthened by the eloquent description of the wonders 
of Gotham, which were given in detail by a seedy individual 
*of the name of Barker — a specimen of the genus blackleg, 
who gloried most commonly in the professional title of " Old 
Sledge." This fellow, by a continued run of ill luck at the 
gaming-table, was completely cleaned out; and like most of 
the fraternity under like circumstances, passed his time loung- 
ing about the saloons in search of a bird to pluck. Being a 
person of very convivial habits, his credit was usually good at 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 141 

those places, on account of the custom he drew ; and as cards, 
dominos, and dice were then common appurtenances of a bar- 
room, he managed to pick up enough to live upon. 

With this personage I became acquainted on the first day 
of my arrival in New- York, and on the strength of his own 
recommendations, I engaged his services in the capacity of a 
guide to the novelties of the city. "With him I visited most of 
the public places, entertaining him liberally, and at times 
loaning him small sums of money upon his promises of repay- 
ment. Our intimacy growing stronger, my new friend shifted 
his lodgings to the place where I had taken up my abode, and, as 
an especial favor, initiated me into ail the mysteries of gambling, 
fully opening my eyes to the chances a greenhorn might have 
at the hands of a professional gamester. Barker had often used 
his utmost endeavors to induce me to try my luck, commencing 
so moderately as to propose the game of poker at a penny ante ; 
but finding me fixed in my determination, he gave me an expose 
of the whole art, very coolly asserting that gambling was a 
profession, and that those who lived by it were justified in 
using every means to win. 

A month and a half passed quickly away in a continual 
round. of amusement, and I felt its effect in the diminished 
weight of my purse, which led me to turn my thoughts toward 
a change of location ; besides, my chaperone began to be more 
frequent and importunate in his efforts to obtain a loan, and 
hardly a night passed that I was not obliged to bring him home 
in a cab or hack, in a beastly state of intoxication. Although 
I continually remonstrated with him, it was all to no purpose, 
and I determined to quit his company altogether, intending 
to do so the first opportunity: but I was spared the pains. 
Towards the close of the day on which I had made up my mind 
what to do, I received a note from the city hospital requesting 
me to call at that institution. I immediately went, and found 
Barker stretched on a bed, totally insensible : his features were 
swollen and distorted to an incredible degree by a rush of blood to 



142 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the head, and every effort was being made to produce a reaction 
and restore the circulation. Veins were opened in his arm 
and legs, but no blood followed the withdrawal of the lancet. 
In answer to the inquiry as to whether I was a relation of 
Barker, I gave a history of my connection with him, and 
requested permission to remain with him until his disease 
reached its crisis, which way granted ; and I seated myself near 
the sufferer, whose breath came short and quick. 

It was about half-past ten in the evening, when I endea- 
vored to raise his head from the pillow. I seated myself by the 
bedside, and placing his head against my shoulder, I could just 
hear in a faint whisper from his lips the words, " Can't you 
do something for me ?" — a common expression which he had 
invariably used when urging me to lend him money. Poor 
fellow! he was beyond the reach of help. The next instant 
his whole frame was convulsed with a mighty throe, and raising 
his body up to a line with his head and feet, pressing me back 
to the pillow, he sunk upon the bed again — dead. 

I had no longer any business in New- York ; and having 
resolved to resume my occupation as a seaman, I shipped on 
board of the brig Hayti, commanded by Capt. Staples, arid 
bound for Mobile. On board of this craft nothing worthy of 
note transpired. We had a very favorable run to our destined 
port, and the pleasure of the trip was much enhanced by the 
presence of the captain's wife, who accompanied us — a very 
estimable lady, whose influence caused harmony to reign on 
board, and nothing occurred to mar the good feeling of the 
crew and passengers. 

Arrived in Mobile, it being optional with myself as to 
whether I remained on board or not, I immediately, though 
much against the will of the captain and his lady, took passage 
for New-Orleans, via the lakes. Once more in the crescent 
city, I waited upon my friend Mills at the " Fountain," and my 
call was very opportune. He was in want of a bar- tender, and 
engaged me at once. After remaining with him four months. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 143 

I found the business did not suit me, and concluded to try 
some other speculation. I went into various lines of business 
with very indifferent success, and finally concluded I would 
lay by for a short time, and see what might turn up or offer 
in my favor. 

The cold damp mists of early dawn were just commencing 
their retreat before the soft glow of the approaching day, when 
I was aroused from my slumbers by a loud burst of martial 
music, accompanied by the heavy and measured tread of march- 
ing troops. Hastily springing from my couch, I threw up the 
sash of the window of my camera, and beheld a sight that would 
have gladdened the heart of a veteran. Down the street (rue 
de Chartres) were marching the far-famed " Legion de la 
Louisiane ;" and the warm glow of the morning light flashed 
from the polished surface of sabres, muskets, and gorgeous equip- 
ments of the infantry, as the column swept by in all the pomp 
and circumstance of war. On they rolled — cazadores, volti- 
geurs, tirailleurs ; and now a numerous park of artillery, in- 
cluding battering cannon and howitzers, thundered over the 
pavement, followed by a fine body of cavalry, which with 
waving pennons and sounding trumpets closed the superb 
pageant. 

Hastily throwing my coat across my arm, and descending 
to the bar to ascertain the cause of the display, I learned that 
it was the 8th of January, the anniversary of the battle of 
New-Orleans, which is considered the most important holiday 
in the calendar among the Creoles of Louisiana. " You are a 
stranger here, are you not, young man I" asked a very red-f iced 
person, who was seated at one of the tables, carelessly turning 
over the dominoes which lay thereon. I answered in the 
affirmative. " May I inquire where you are from t" I gave 
the desired information, at the same time taking a seat at the 
opposite side of the table. " You are an American, I suppose?" 
" I am, sir." " This is a beautiful morning ; have you any 
objection to a walk with me before breakfast? I have some- 



144 WILD OATS SOWINGS, 

thing farther to say to you." Always in search of an adven- 
ture, I assured him I had none. " I'll be with you in a moment," 
said he, rising and leaving the room. As he did so I had a 
good opportunity to examine my new acquaintance, who was 
of a tall, commanding appearance, and, as I saw at a glance, 
was no stranger to salt water. Sitting in the shade of a large 
Venitian screen, I had had no opportunity of noticing his dress, 
which now attracted my attention. It was of blue broadcloth, 
the coat of the long naval frock cut, with heavy gilt buttons 
stamped with the eagle and stars of the United States Marine, 
and garnished with shoulder-straps of narrow gold lace ; these, 
with a rich buff vest, boots, and naval officer's cap of blue 
cloth with gold band, completed the exterior of Capt. William 
Brown, of the Texan schooner-of-war " Liberty," then fitting 
out at Algiers, opposite the city. This fact was communicated 
to me in a whisper by my friend Mills, as the gentleman entered 
the room. " You are caught," said Mills in a whisper, as he 
sprang over the bar, in answer to the call of the officer, who 
very politely invited me to join him in drinking a julep. "Are 
we all ready now?" " Yes, sir." "Well, we will start by the 
way of the Place d' Armes ; the artillery must be unlimbered 
by this time ;" and as he spoke, the thunder of the first discharge 
reverberating through the streets, brought a copious shower of 
glass upon our heads from the windows of a large drug store 
we w r ere passing. The streets and squares were filled with 
people, all in their holiday attire, and apparently overflowing 
with patriotic ardor at the remembrance of the valiant deeds 
the performance of which they were assembled to celebrate. 
All was bustle and gayety, and we passed the Place d' Armes, 
which was filled by the Legion, through dense clouds of smoke, 
while the deafening roar of the artillery and the loud bursts of 
music from the band, intermingled with the cheers of the 
populace, who thronged every avenue to the place, formed a 
scene of uproar which could scarcely have been exceeded on 
the day they were striving J;o commemorate. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 145 

•" That is brave work, and all for a very good purpose," said 
my companion, as we cleared the crowd ; " but it is a pity that 
so much good powder should be used up, when it could be 
turned to so much better account." " How so ?" I inquired. 
" Do you not think it right to celebrate the anniversary of 
those days upon which our most memorable victories were 
achieved V 9 Most certainly," returned he, " and perhaps you 
will consider me a little selfish when I explain the reason of 
my remark, which was induced by the necessities of the cause 
in which I am engaged, rather than from anything like a want 
of patriotism or national pride, of which I lay claim to as large 
a share as any other man." Here the good captain was inter- 
rupted by the ringing chorus of two long rows of darkies, who 
were seated along the sides of a large tobacco and segar store, 
enlivening their toil with a song in honor of the day. Quite 
a large crowd had collected upon the sidewalk to watch the 
actions of the sable crew, who were engaged in the process 
of making segars, in the various motions of which they managed 
to keep time to their music. A little woollyr-head, seated in 
one corner, sang the verse, after which all hands joined in the 

chorus : 

" I spose you've read it in the prints, 

How Packenham attempted 
To make Old Hickory Jackson wince, 

But soon his schemes repented; 
For we with rifles ready cocked, 

Thought such occasion lucky, 
And soon around the General flocked 
The hunters of Kentucky. 

O Kentucky, the hunters of Kentucky, 
O Kentucky—" 

Here the little leader of the choir would show his ivories, and 
rolling up his eyes, shout, " Massa Jackson bery smart man ;" 
all the rest in unison responding, — 

" White folks say so, white folks say so. 
Eyah! Eyah!" 

It was a warm sunny morning, and the doors and wimdows 
were all thrown open, and through these, at the termination 

13 



146 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

of each verse, went a shower of picayunes (6£-cent pieces, the 
smallest coin then current in New-Orleans) from the amused 
crowd on the s^rwalk. 

After a hearty laugh, we passed on to the ferry. Having 
got on board the boat, I asked my companion to let me know 
something of the cause he had mentioned as being engaged in, 
and in what way he was connected with it. "It is for that 
purpose I wished you to accompany me this morning," replied 
he ; " and not only that, but I have hopes that I may be enabled 
to prevail upon you to join our side. I have an idea that you 
can be of great service to me, as well as to yourself ; therefore 
if you will join at once, I will place your name upon the muster- 
roll as midshipman. The bounty for entering the service is, for 
three months, three hundred and twenty acres of land ; for six 
months, six hundred and forty; to be located at pleasure upon 
any unoccupied lands in the republic of Texas. In addition 
to that, all who enter the service will receive the same pay per 
month as those of a corresponding grade in the United States 
navy. Such a chance as this very seldom occurs, and I would 
advise you, if you love adventure and wish to make your 
fortune, to take hold at once, for I need your assistance very 
much." Laying his hand familiarly upon my shoulder, he 
added, " Shakspeare says : 

" ' There is a tide in the affairs of men, 
Which, taken at its turn, will lead to fortune/ 

The chance is yours. We will take a walk down to the 
Liberty, and then return to breakfast, and by that time you 
can make up your mind." 

We had now reached the opposite bank of the Mississippi, 
at the place called Algiers, and half an hour's walk brought us 
to the vessel, which lay at Slaughter-House Point, where she 
was being transformed from a peaceful merchantman into a 
man^f-war. A large force of carpenters, riggers, and sail- 
makers were busy making the necessary alterations in her 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 147 

equipment ; and the armament, consisting of one medium 
twelve-pounder for a pivot-gun, two long-sixes, and two twelve- 
pound carronades, were being got on board by a part of the 
crew, under the supervision of the first lieutenant, a bustling 
Yankee named Walker. After surveying the schooner, (which, 
by the way, was a very fine one of about eighty tons' burthen,) 
and satisfying my curiosity, I rejoined my companion, the 
captain, who by this time was disengaged, and we returned 
to the city. 

" Well, my lad, what do you think of the Liberty, and of 
my proposal ?" said Capt. Brown, as we rose from the break- 
fast-table. I answered that I was much pleased with the ves- 
sel, and in regard^to his proposal, I inquired what particular 
duty he should assign me, giving him to understand that I had 
but little inclination to live on board the Liberty, so long as I 
could enjoy the hospitalities of mine host of the "Fountain." 
This objection was answered by his assurance that I was not 
required to go on board until the day of sailing : my employ- 
ment, until then, would be to drum up recruits to complete 
the ship's company. 

Perfectly satisfied with this arrangement, my name was 
duly inserted upon the ship's register, and receiving thirty-six 
dollars as advance wages, I went to work with a will ; and 
having a pretty extensive acquaintance among the seafaring 
community, I managed, by the 12th of January, to induce some 
forty men to enter on board of the Liberty, many of whom 
were stout able-bodied seamen, while the rest were Tennessee 
and Kentucky flat-boatmen — long wiry fellows, who were 
on their first visit to the city, and having been enticed to 
the gambling dens, had, by the turn of a card or a roulette- 
wheel, lost the proceeds of months of toil and exposure. 
These men, thus rendered desperate, were ripe for any adven- 
ture which promised to retrieve their losses. 

While I was thus busy, the fitting-out of the schooner was 
going on with great rapidity, and on the 12th we were all 



148 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

ordered on board, and the Liberty was hauled at once into the 
river. At five p. m. we dropped down the river, off the Free- 
port stores, where we let go our anchors and cleared the deck, 
and at seven o'clock we fired our long-torn as a signal for our 
convoy to drop into the stream, ready to join the tow. In an 
hour more we were under way, and tearing down the river 
under a full head of steam. There were three tows in sight, 
plainly indicated by the glow of as many blazing furnaces 
brightly gleaming in the pitchy darkness. 



CHAPTEK XIV. 



The convoy — Hoisting the flag of 1824 — Sail from the Balize — Sight the 
coast — Discharge the convoy — The suspicious vessels — Chase — Gal- 
veston — The Shenandoah and her consort — Slave speculation of the 
notorious Munroe Edwards — We are baffled — Galveston in 1836 — 
Lafitte's town — Discontent — Tory hunting — Sail upon a cruise— The 
Montezuma — Disappointment — The norther — Shipping our sea-legs — 
Coast of Yucatan — Capture of fishermen — Their ignorance — Original 
wit — Sisal, and what we found there — The Mexican schooner — The 
council and resolve — The Cape Cod man — His fright — The Nimble — 
The stranger reassured — News — Resolution confirmed. 

The morning light revealed the nature of our convoy, 
which consisted of seven schooners, loaded with supplies for 
the Texan government. At nine a. m. we cast off from the 
steam-tug and came to anchor at the Balize. Here our colors 
were first hoisted, under a salute of thirteen guns. The flag 
was that of the Mexican republic — red, white, and green, 
with the addition of the figures 1824 in the centre, expressive 
of the determination of the Texans to sustain the constitution 
of the Federal Government, which the usurper Santa Anna 
had overthrown. At four p. m.., everything being in readiness, 
the convoy, in obedience to our signal-gun, weighed their 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 149 

anchors and stood out to sea. It was near sunset ere we 
made sail, and the convoy were almost hull down in the 
distance, the vessels fairly staggering under the press of can- 
vas. But though they had so much the start of us, our brave 
little craft was in the centre of the squadron ere six bells 
(eleven p. m.) had struck, using in the meanwhile nothing but 
the mainsail and jib. We carried the breeze with us until the 
afternoon of the 14th, when we made the low sandy coast of 
Texas, midway between the harbor of Galveston and the 
mouth of the Brazos. We now discharged our convoy, the 
coast being clear ; they keeping away for the mouth of the 
river, and we hauling up for Galveston. 

Two light vessels, which were just entering the port, now 
attracted our attention by the strangeness of their movements ; 
and suspecting they were either enemies or smugglers, we 
gave chase. Their apparent anxiety to escape us confirmed 
our suspicions, and every rag that was possible was soon dis- 
tended to the breeze, and the Liberty flew over the combing 
rollers which skirted the bar, and ere an hour had elapsed we 
were at anchor, our sails furled, and our boats out, manned 
and armed, pulling lustily for the strangers, who had taken 
refuge behind Pelican Island, where we could discern their 
masts, while their hulls were completely hidden by the inter- 
vening island. In the meantime alF sorts of speculations were 
rife in regard to the strangers, some pronouncing them pirates, 
others smugglers, and a few asserted they were some of the 
Mexican guarda-costas. We already began to have indistinct 
visions of prize-money and plunder, and anxiously waited 
for news from the boats. It was near eight o'clock when they 
returned, and Mr. Mayo, the officer in charge of the boats, 
had communicated the result. The vessels were engaged in 
the transportation of slaves from Cuba to Galveston ; but such 
had been their expedition, that the negroes were all landed 
ere our boats had reached them. It is doubtful whether, in 
the state of the country at that time, they would have been 

13* 



150 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

adjudged as prizes to us, if this had not been the ease. This, 
it will be remembered, was one of the speculations of the 
notorious Munroe Edwards, then located somewhere near 
New-Washington, in San Jacinto Bay. 

Galveston Island and Bay presented at that time (January, 
1836,) a very different aspect to that which now greets the 
eye of the beholder. Wliere now stands an opulent city, one 
solitary wooden house presented itself to the eye. This, as if 
in mockery of the loneliness of the place, was dignified with 
the title of custom-house. A little to the right of it might 
have been seen the remains of the brick foundations of the 
houses which had comprised a settlement got up under the 
auspices of the celebrated Laiitte, a former follower of whom 
we had on board of our vessel. This man, whose name was 
Conti, at times told marvelous stories of money buried upon 
the island, and many were the rambling searches which I made, 
in hopes it might be my good fortune to recover the golden 
treasure. 

In gazing at the shore, the eye in vain sought any inhabit- 
ant in human shape; and yet everything seemed to swarm 
with busy, noisy life. The red deer came bounding to the 
brink of the wave, and stopping upon the glistening sands, 
would stamp their tiny feet and toss their heads at our unwonted 
appearance. The bay was literally covered with wild- fowl, 
while the low sandy point of Pelican Island, now devoted to 
pic-nic parties, swarmed with countless thousands of the bird 
from which the island has been named. The water, likewise, 
as if to give its quota to make up the picture, abounded in 
immense shoals of mullet, (by the way, a most delicious fish,) 
with the beautiful red-fish, and a larger species called by the 
knowing ones, granticoi. These, with occasionally a breaching 
porpoise, or the shark with his sharp back-fins cutting the 
translucent wave, formed an ever-varying scene, most inte- 
resting to the spectator. 

"We were destined to remain here until our vessel was 



WILD OATS SOWINGS, 151 

commissioned and we had received orders to cruise ; and as 
matters were not as speedily adjusted at the seat of government 
as they might have been, the most of us were fearful that our 
stay in this port might be longer than agreeable to us, or in 
keeping with the prospects which had been held out to us in 
New-Orleans. As I have said before, our men were, in fact, a 
mere party of desperadoes ; and ere we had been in Galveston 
a week, the murmurs of discontent became both loud and 
general. Every possible effort was resorted to, to quiet this 
feeling. Parties were started off to procure wood, and others 
to fish. The guns of the vessel were scaled, and their range 
proved, to the great discomfort of every flock of pelicans, or 
any living animal which made its appearance upon the shore. 
Finally, tory-hunting became the order of the day, and a party 
were started off to arrest a man by the name of Parr, then 
living some eight miles east of Point Bolivar. In this they 
succeeded, and that individual, together with his wife and 
children, were transferred to the Liberty for safe keeping. 
But even this failed, in the end, to produce the desired result. 
Our commander was no disciplinarian, and the men in general 
w^ere calculated to verify the old saying, "Put a beggar on 
horseback," etc. 

Things began to wear a squally aspect, when on the morn- 
ing of the 24th of January the order was given to weigh 
anchor. All was now bustle and life. The idea of a change was 
enough to restore the equanimity of all parties ; and when the 
word was given that we were to cruise upon the Mexican coast, 
the vessel fairly rang with yells of delight, forming a queer 
contrast to the formal precision and silent dignity of most 
national vessels. Having got the schooner under way, the 
prisoners, Parr and his family, were landed and cautioned as 
to their future behavior ; and the boats having been secured, 
we glided swiftly from the harbor, and once more danced 
merrily over the blue waters of the Gulf. Our course was 
Laid south-east by south for the coast of Yucatan, which we 



152 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

wished to make somewhere about Campeachy. Our vessel, as 
I have before said, was a crack sailer, and with a fair wind 
made rapid progress over the Gulf. The men were in high 
spirits, and all were on the alert to be the first to discover 
a sail. 

On the 28th of January, the loud cry of 6i Sail ho !" from 
a dozen voices at once, greeted our ears. The vessel was 
barely visible upon the horizon. On the instant every avail- 
able sail was set, and our course was altered, having the wind 
of the chase, to cut her off. In a short time the guns were 
cleared, loaded, and double-shotted ; small arms were distributed 
among the men ; the articles of war for the regulation of 
ships of war were produced, and that part which refers to 
vessels in time of battle was read with great solemnity, much 
to the edification of the uncouth band, who needed no spur to 
do battle to the death, where plunder was in the question. 
In one hour we were sufficiently near to see that all our excite- 
ment was useless, and our visions of bloodshed and booty 
melted into thin air. 

The chase proved to be the bark Montezuma, then running 
as a packet between New-York, and Vera Cruz. Having 
spoken with this vessel, we again hauled our wind and resumed 
our old course, much to the satisfaction of those on board of the 
stranger, who had evidently been much alarmed at our prox- 
imity. The day after this occurrence we encountered another 
stranger — an unwelcome one to the most of us — in the shape 
of a tremendous norther, before which we scudded under bare 
poles until the morning of the 31st, when we found ourselves 
on the Sisal bank, (a large shoal lying off the coast ;) and the 
gale having abated, we again made sail. 

On the morning of the 1st of February we sighted the 
coast of Yucatan, and running well in with the land, suc- 
ceeded in capturing a couple of fishing-boats, for the purpose of 
gaining information of what was going on in the country. The 
crews of these vessels were mostly of the native Indian race, 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 153 

the descendants of the proprietors of the renowned Uxmal, the 
stupendous ruins of which have recently come to light. They 
were in a half-naked state, and seemed of a gentle, submissive 
race. Their boats were similar to those known by the French 
name pirogue, or dug-out, being hollowed from a section of the 
trunk of a single tree, — a frail bark for a European or Yankee, 
but balanced and propelled through and over the waves 
with great dexterity by those primitive people. At first they 
appeared to be somewhat alarmed ; but finding themselves 
kindly treated, this feeling wore off and they became more com- 
municative, and as far as they possessed any knowledge, it 
was rendered without much urging. Of the affairs of the 
nation they knew nothing, evidently thinking little and caring 
less about the political aspect of the times. They appeared 
to have an indistinct knowledge that their country was 
engaged in a w r ar, but with whom, and for what purpose, they 
were totally ignorant. One of our officers inquired of them 
whether they knew who and what we w r ere ; and one of their 
number readily answered in the affirmative by casting his eyes 
around our hang-dog looking ship's company, and slowly 
ejaculating, " Si, senor ; caballeros del mar" Which might very 
easily be rendered seafaring gentlemen or pirates. Which- 
ever he meant, the answer produced a loud burst of laughter 
from all quarters ; while our commander, who loved a joke, 
even at his own expense, pronounced the fellow a prophet. 
Having got all the information these people could communi- 
cate, they were allowed to depart, receiving salt beef and pork 
in liberal quantities in exchange for their fish, a trade which 
appeared to be very satisfactory to them. 

We were now twenty-five miles south of Sisal, and the 
wind being fair for that port, we made sail and coasted along, 
until at three p. m. w r e were in plain sight of the town and har- 
bor, at the distance of about eight miles. In this position 
we supposed we were safe from a too rigid scrutiny, while we 
could make such observations as would be advantageous to us. 



154 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Our flag was that of the Mexican republic, and we had sup- 
posed the distance would prevent the figures in its centre from 
being made out "from the town, and thus we might pass for 
one of their own national vessels. But in this we were 
mistaken, as events subsequently proved. Some thirty vessels 
were at anchor within the harbor, which was but a mere in- 
dentation of the land, totally unprotected from the severe 
northers which vent their fury upon the coast of the Mexican 
Gulf. These, were, with but one exception, vessels belonging 
to foreign nations, as their colors indicated. The vessel 
excepted was a large schooner anchored near the battery, from 
the main peak of which floated the flag of our enemy. As 
this craft vejry much resembled a Mexican man-of-war called 
the Montezuma, which, under the command of a Capt. Thomp- 
eon, had committed some depredations upon the coast of Texas, 
she was at once adjudged a lawful prize by a council held in 
the cabin of the Liberty — that is, if we could get her. 

• This decided upon, we again made sail upon the schooner, 
and beat up under cover of the headland forming the north- 
ern point of the harbor, where we again hove to, for the pur- 
pose of making the necessary arrangements for our enterprize. 
While occupied with this business, a strange vessel made its 
appearance, from the harbor, to which we instantly gave chase, 
with a view to acquiring some further news respecting the 
state of affairs in the town, and especially in regard to the 
object of our intended attack. The chase, on perceiving our 
manoeuvres, immediately put back and attempted to regain 
the port she had left, but it was too late : she was very heavily 
laden, and moved sluggishly through the water ; and finding 
herself without hope in that direction, she put about, and 
crowding all sail, endeavored to escape seaward. This her cap- 
tain soon found could not be done, and therefore making a 
merit of necessity, he hove his vessel to and awaited our 
approach. 

When within hailing distance, the captain of the chase was 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 155 

ordered to come on board with his papers. The command 
was instantly but very reluctantly obeyed by the captain, 
who had doubtless concluded that we were bucaneers, judging 
from his extreme agitation as he stepped across our gang- 
way. He shivered like an aspen-leaf in the breeze, while 
the pallor of his countenance showed mortal fear, as his eyes 
rapidly took in the scene upon our decks. The bulwarks of 
our little vessel being low, a row of small iron stanchions had 
been attached to the top rail at intervals, and through an eye 
at the head of each was rove a ridge-rope, to which was affixed 
a narrow tarpaulin curtain, fastened at the bottom to the rail. 
This contrivance served to give the appearance of hammock 
nettings, and also concealed what was going on upon our deck. 
Whenever we had exposed ourselves to observation from the 
town and harbor, we had shown but just men enough on board 
our vessel to work the ship ; the rest being either below, or 
lying upon the deck under cover of the waistcloths. 

Our people, at the moment of the stranger's advent on 
board, were mostly lying or seated around the deck, many using 
their best endeavors, with files and scythe-stones, to impart a 
keen edge to sundry cutlasses, bayonets, pikes, etc. which were 
likely to be brought into use before long. All this the poor 
fellow eyed with such an air of terror and bewilderment that 
he excited the ridicule of most of the men, some of whom 
called out to lead him along to the chopping-block ; another 
asked if he had said his prayers, advising him to do so without 
delay, as his time was come. Walker, the first lieutenant, who 
met him. at the gangway, administered some comfort to the 
poor fellow by assuring him he had nothing to fear ; adding 
that our vessel was the United States schooner Nimble, which 
had been sent to cruise for a pirate that had captured a vessel 
off the harbor of Pensacola. This little fabrication allayed 
the fears of our guest ; and having been introduced to the 
quarter-deck where a goodly array of decanters were standing 
upon the trunk, he soon became quite composed, and proved 



156 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

a more welcome customer than we had even hoped for. From 
him we learned that the vessel we were so very solicitous 
about was indeed a Mexican one, but not, as we had con- 
jectured, a man-of-war. According to his account, which, by 
the way, proved to be correct, the schooner had arrived that 
morning from New-Orleans, and that about noon boat-loads 
of armed men from the shore had boarded the vessel, and, after 
some disturbance, had got her under way and anchored her in 
her present position, within pistol-shot of the battery which 
defended the town. This, though somewhat mysterious to us, 
was so far important as to assure every one that we should 
have to meet with resistance from those on board, let the case 
be as it might. 

The battery mounted twelve long 18-pounders, and from 
their nearness to the vessel we so much coveted, and the almost 
certainty of finding the enemy on the alert, the whole affair 
began to look somewhat hazardous. The sun had already 
dipped in the horizon when we parted with our new acquaint- 
ance, who left us in a much more agreeable frame of mind 
than he possessed when he came on board, particularly as he 
was preceded by a fine ham and a case of choice liquors, pre- 
sented to him by way of recompense for his detention. As he 
left, however, the captain enlightened him as to the real char- 
acter of our craft, and informed him of his intention to have 
the vessel, about which so much inquiries had been made, under 
our colors before morning. Wishing us success, he pulled 
away, and passing to his own vessel, ran down and announced 
his determination to lay-to during the night and see the sport. 
But he probably thought better of it, as the next morning we 
saw nothing of him. 

We had been lying all this time within plain sight of the 
town, at the distance of about six miles ; but having parted with 
our guest, we made sail once more and stood off shore, a course 
which we kept until it was quite dark, when we put about, 
and made for the harbor under shortened sail. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 157 

CHAPTER XV. 

Call for volunteers — Bad luck — Two boats stove — Resolve to proceed — 
The hazardous passage — The Sabine — I'm commissioned to effect a 
loan — The hostile skipper — The point gained — Flan of attack — Part 
company — Awaiting the signal — The Mexican watchword and response 
— The signal and response — Give way. lads — Quien viva — The fusilade 
— The deck of the enemy — Doubtful appearances — Diversion in our 
favor — The Mexicans divided — Our consort falls astern — We clear the 
decks — Precautions of the enemy to prevent a capture — The prize 
under way — The battery woke up — Too late — The killed, wounded, 
and prisoners — The prize a smuggler — Make sail for Matagorda. 

The night breeze had set in strong from the north-west, and 
the sea began gradually to rise. It was a fine starlight night, 
although light fleecy clouds were continually flying overhead. 
The crew were now mustered upon the quarter-deck, and the 
captain, in a short address, gave them to understand the object 
he had in view ; namely, the capture of the vessel in question ; 
which was to be done by means of the boats, as the appearance 
of our vessel in the harbor would put the enemy upon their 
guard. The announcement was received with every expression 
of satisfaction by the ship's company, who volunteered to a 
man to undertake the enterprise. 

The work of getting out the boat, which was upon the deck, 
now commenced. In this we were unfortunate, on account of 
the heavy sea, which forced the boat, as soon as launched, with 
such violence against the side of the schooner, as to stave it 
in so badly as to render it utterly useless. This misfortune 
did not dampen the ardor of the men in the least, and the 
quarter-boat next received their attention. Here too we were 
unfortunate, for in lowering this boat one of the ringbolts 
drew, letting the bow of the boat into the sea, where it was 
crushed under the counter of the vessel. We were thus 
obliged to cut her adrift, and trust solely to the little cockle- 
shell affair which we carried at our stern-davits. 



158 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Our expedition, in the first instance, was to have heen 
composed of thirty men and officers; but our mishaps ren- 
dered it necessary to hold a council for the purpose of deciding 
whether we should attempt the capture or abandon the idea. 
The most sanguine were disheartened, and, a most without 
hope, it was decided, at the earnest solicitation of Walker, that 
the affair should be carried out. The party was reduced from 
thirty to fourteen men, including Mayo, the sailing-master, 
and myself, as an especial favor, being a great favorite with the 
first lieutenant. Had it not been for my light weight, the 
attacking party would have numbered one less. 

By the time this arrangement was made it was six bells 
(eleven p. m.) The schooner had been all this time drifting in to- 
ward the roadstead, where the vessels were dimly seen at anchor, 
and the sky had become overcast with heavy clouds, which 
prevented our being observed from the shore ; and under these 
favorable circumstances, after taking a stiff horn of grog, we 
tumbled into the boat and put off, on our search for adventure. 

For the first few moments things looked rather dubious, as 
the boat, loaded beyond her capacity, shipped water as fast as 
two of our number could bale it out with buckets, so that we 
expected every moment to be swamped. Those of us in the 
stern seated ourselves upon the top of the stern and quarters 
of the boat, our backs presenting a barrier against which the 
waves broke, which would otherwise have inevitably swamped 
us. In this way passed some ten minutes in almost total dark- 
ness, when we reached the outermost of the vessels at anchor 
in the roadstead. We rounded-to under the stern of a large 
schooner, for the purpose of holding a consultation as to what 
course to pursue. A fine boat belonging to this vessel was 
floating beside us, into which a part of our # men immediately 
jumped, thus relieving the rest of us from the fear of becoming 
shark-bait. Wet and shivering with cold, there was little time 
for deliberation, and it was at once resolved to take possession 
of the boat we had just so unceremoniously boarded — by fair 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 159 

means, if possible ; if not, by foul. With this understanding, 
I was directed by Walker to shin aboard the schooner, by means 
of the rope, or painter, which fastened the^boat to her stern, 
and request the loan of her for a couple of hours. " And in what 
way must I present so reasonable a request?" I asked, as I sprang 
forward to execute my mission. u I'll leave that to you," said 
he, laughing. " Trust t^fyour wits, my lad, and bear a hand-" 

In another second I was upon the schooner's deck, reading 
the words " Sabine, of New-Orleans," upon her stern, during 
the rapid transit. It argued ill for the shipper's sagacity, to 
be lying at a single anchor in an open roadstead, with half a 
gale of wind blowing dead on the shore, without even the pre- 
caution of an anchor-watch. Everything was still, save the 
sharp whistling of the wind among the rigging. The compan- 
ion-doors were closed and the slide shut over ; and for an in- 
stant I paused to decide upon the best course to pursue in the 
negotiation which was about to commence. 

Pushing back the slide and inserting my head, I shouted at 
the top of my lungs, " Hallo, below there !" I had not long 
to wait for an answer. My head w r as hardly withdrawn from 
the opening, before a red nightcap popped into sight, followed 
by a pair of shoulders which would have done honor to a gre- 
nadier of the great Frederick's guard. Rather an ugly cus- 
tomer, thought I, as I confronted the apparition, which, after 
a few grunts and yawns, turned its head around and scanned 
the appearance of the weather ; and then, facing me once more, 
remained silent. " I'm in something of a hurry," said I, " are 
you the captain of this vessel?" "I believe I am," returned 
he, " and pray who the devil are you ? How came you aboard 
of my vessel ? and lastly, what do you want ?" " Did you 
observe the strange vessel in the offing yesterday?" I inquired. 
" I believe I did ; but what has that to do with my question?" 
" Much, sir. That vessel is the Texan armed schooner Liberty, 
and her object is the possession of the Mexican vessel anchored 
ne&r the battery." 



160 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

I then related the situation we were in, in regard to the 
want of boats, and ended in making the request that he would 
assist us with the loan of his boat, to which he gave a flat 
refusal. I attempted to argue the matter with him, but all to 
no purpose ; and he ended by ordering me to leave the vessel. 
I now told him that his boat was already in possession of our 
people, and that he would find it hard to regain possession, if 
he remained obstinate. Stepping aft, he was soon convinced 
of the truth of what I told him, and the sight of the armed 
men appeared to have a conciliatory effect upon him, as he 
immediately inquired when we would return the boat. I 
assured him it should be left at anchor near his vessel, where 
he could easily recover it in the morning ; and in regard to any 
trouble with the Mexican authorities, I hinted that he could 
excuse himself by asserting that the boat was taken by force, 
which was, indeed, true to the letter. 

Having thus secured this part of our object, I told him that 
as he had extended aid to the enemy, it was likewise his place 
to afford comfort, giving him a short account of our perilous 
passage into the harbor, and the wet and cold condition of our 
party. In this I succeeded in enlisting his sympathy to the 
tune of a half-gallon of most excellent old Monongahela, which 
disappeared over the stern into the boat. 

Everything being now ready, Walker, with seven of the 
party, took charge of our new acquisition, while Mayo and 
the remaining iive kept possession of our own boat. The 
nearest merchantman to our object of attack was a large 
Hamburg bark, which lay about a quarter of a mile from both 
the Mexican and ourselves. It was decided that Walker's 
boat should gain the cover of this vessel, and there await 
a signal from Mayo, whose boat was to take a circuit to 
the north-west to a point about equi-distant with us, when the 
former was to dash at once for the starboard quarter of the 
Mexican, while the latter should endeavor to board upon the 
larboard bow. The signal was to be the flashing of a pistol. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 161 

All being arranged, we parted company, and in a short time 
our boat gained the shelter of the aforementioned bark, where 
we impatiently awaited the signal from our comrades. Here 
for the first time the Spanish watchword greeted my ear. 
The loud "Sentinella alerta" mellowed by the distance, sounded 
musically upon the water, answered by the more sonorous 
"Alerta esta" the responding cry from post to post, delivered 
in various intonations of voice ; and it awakened all our ener- 
gies for the desperate struggle, which, from the appearance of 
things, we had a right to expect. 

Our men sat in moody silence, their eyes strained in the 
direction whence we expected the signal, each momeiat, in 
our impatience, seeming an hour. The clouds now began 
to break away and scatter in drifts, revealing distant objects 
more distinctly. The monotony of this scene was abruptly 
broken by Walker : " The devil ! there comes the moon !" 
As I turned, a small segment of the pale goddess of the 
night, partially obscured by light drift, appeared above the 
horizon. In a few minutes more it again disappeared, much 
to our relief, and shortly after, the long wished-for signal 
was made by Mayo. It was instantly answered ; and every- 
thing being in readiness, we let go and pulled cautiously with 
muffled oars toward the schooner. 

We had arrived within one hundred yards before we were 
discovered, but now the loud "Quien viva/" of the Mexican 
sentinel fell harshly upon the ear, followed, before we had time 
to answer, by a volley of musketry. " Give way, boys !" shouted 
Walker : " nobody's hurt ; give way !" Amidst a shower of 
balls the boat dashed alongside of the vessel, and in an instant 
Walker, cutlass in hand, was upon her deck, slashing right and 
left, and cheering on the party, who had in less than a minute 
joined our leader. How I got upon the vessel's deck I know 
not, but the first salutation I received was a blow from a stick 
of wood from one of the Greasers, who had formed a line 
across the deck, and were attempting to charge upon us. 

14* 



162 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

At this moment the other boat struck the larboard side of the 
vessel, just abaft the fore-chains ; and Mayo, with loud shouts, 
called upon his men to follow him. This was very opportune. 
A large part of the enemy turned to repulse the new assailants ; 
while a few, hard pressed by us, jumped overboard and swam 
for the battery. Mayo's boat had lost its hold of the schooner ; 
and the Greasers, being freed from any farther alarm from that 
quarter, now turned in a body upon us, and for a few moments 
bravely contested the possession of the vessel ; our men using 
nothing but their cutlasses, and the enemy their muskets, 
already unloaded in their first attack upon our boat. 

But such opponents as these were not long destined to 
stand against the athletic sons of the Mississippi Valley, who 
wrested a number of muskets from the hands of the enemy and 
soon put the whole posse to flight. A large number of them 
jumped overboard and swam for the shore, leaving us in pos- 
session of the vessel, and some dozen and a half of their number, 
part of whom were disabled or killed. " She is ours I" shouted 
Walker: " bear a hand, lads, and loose the mainsail and jib." 
At this instant Mayo's boat, which had been swept far astern 
during the fray, before the men could get their oars out, came 
alongside, and though late for the more desperate part of the 
enterprise, their assistance came most opportune. 

One moment's examination told us we had got to depend 
upon our own wits to get the prize to sea. The mainsail had 
been unbent and taken on shore, while the main-boom was 
immovably fixed by means of a large iron bolt, which had been 
driven through its jaws and the mainmast. The headsails had 
followed the mainsail on shore ; but the foresail, a large lug, 
yet hung in its brails. This was immediately shaken out, 
and the men were sent aloft to clear away the topsail and 
topgallant, who soon succeeded in loosing them, notwith- 
standing every foot-rope was cut. While these operations 
were progressing, a few of us had managed to construct a 
temporary jib out of a large awning, w r hich we found aft upon 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 163 

the quarter-deck. In less than a quarter of an hour the cable 
was cut, and the vessel was forging ahead toward the northern 
headland of the harbor. The people on shore evidently expected 
an attack upon the town, as we inferred by the beating of 
drums, the sound of which we could hear distinctly ; and the 
lights flashing upon the battery, led us momentarily to expect 
a salute from that quarter. We were almost out of range, 
when the expected messenger came rushing over the water, 
soaring high above our mast-heads, and dashing into the waves 
half a mile ahead of us. Ere another could be brought to bear, 
we were under cover of the merchant vessels anchored in the 
roadstead. 

The satisfaction we felt now vented itself in three hearty 
cheers, and we began to think of looking after our prisoners. 
Three poor fellows were killed, and we consigned them to the 
waves. Five others, badly wounded, we relieved for the 
present to the best of our ability. Of the remaining nine, 
two belonged to the Mexican custom-house, and the others had 
formerly composed the crew of the vessel. The schooner 
proved to be the Pelicano de Campeehe, and had been seized 
by the customs authorities, on the day of her arrival, for having 
contraband goods on board. The process of seizure had 
been effected but about one hour before we appeared oif the 
harbor. From the two custom-house officers we learned that 
the character of our vessel was well known upon our first 
appearance, and thus everything had been clone that was 
possible in so short a time, to foil any attempt on our part to 
capture the vessel. The schooner had been partially stripped 
of her sails, and thirty-six soldiers, under the command of a 
lieutenant, had been put on board to defend her in case of 
attack. These, for the most part, had jumped overboard and 
swam to the shore. They had tossed in the sea the corpses 
of three of their killed, to get them out of the way, while in 
the harbor; making the number of the enemy killed six and 
wounded five, as near as we could ascertain. On our side, 



164: WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

with the exception of a few slight bruises and scratches, no 
one was hurt. 

We continued making short tacks across the harbor until 
about three p. m., when the wind shifted off the land and we 
ran out, and at daylight came-to under the lee of the Liberty. 
In the hurry and confusion of getting the prize under way, one 
of our own boats had broken adrift, and we had none left but 
the one belonging to the Sabine ; and as it was impossible for 
us to do without one, we gave up all idea of restoring it. A 
spare suit of sails was instantly sent on board of the prize and 
bent, the well prisoners were transferred to the Liberty, and 
after the further transfer of sundry boat-loads of flour, apples, 
butter, etc., to that vessel, not forgetting to mention some two or 
three thousand dollars in gold and silver coin, nautical and 
musical instruments, etc., we filled away, with instructions to 
make our way to the port of Matagorda without delay. 



CHAPTEE XVI. 



The ghost-seer— The drayman— Superstition— The ghost of the galley— 
The Hoosier put to flight— Mayo ditto— The opinion of Beans— The 
general alarm— Old Possible, the roasted cook— Passo Cavallo— De- 
scription of the Pelicano de Campeche — Arrive off Matagorda — More- 
head's volunteers — Picarooning — Appearance of Uncle Sam's cruisers 
— We decline any more intimate acquaintance — Get under way — 
Wreck of the prize — Narrow escape from drowning — Proceed to 
Matagorda — Loss of the ghost-seer — The Independence and Brutus — 
Commodore Hawkins — Objects to our colors — Capt. Brown's answer. 

Among a crew composed of such materials as ours, there 
were, as might be expected, some strange characters — one, 
especially, in the person of a young man belonging to Liverpool, 
England. This queer specimen of humanity was an incorri- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 165 

gible ghost-seer, a fact of which we had all become well aware. 
Unfortunately for him, a few days before he joined the Liberty, 
an unhappy drayman, who boarded at the same house with 
him in New-Orleans, took the responsibility of shaking off this 
mortal coil by choking himself with a couple of yards of hemp. 
Although far removed from the scene of the transaction, our 
shipmate, who was usually called John the drayman, was 
continually receiving visits from the spirit of his departed 
friend. Often in broad daylight he would start, his eyes fixed 
upon vacancy, his whole frame shivering with mortal fear, 
his features of a deadly hue, and so completely unnerved as to 
be deprived of the least power to help himself. At first, when 
these fits came upon him, the stoutest-hearted among the ship's 
company quailed beneath his unearthly appearance ; but after 
his own explanation of the cause, attributing the effect to the 
appearance of the spirit, he became in an equal degree an 
object of ridicule to the Hoosiers among us, and of anger to 
the old salts, who being strongly tinctured with superstition 
themselves, were but little pleased at the idea of a ghost's being 
upon terms of intimacy with any one on board of the vessel. 
Therefore, upon the first symptoms of the approach of the 
unwelcome visitant to our mortal shipmate, a few buckets 
of water from the former, and a series of kicks vigorously 
bestowed by the latter, had a strong tendency in most cases to 
dispel the illusion. In one instance this system of discipline 
came near having a fatal termination, as the miserable creature 
suddenly sprang overboard from his persecutors, and was with 
great difficulty rescued from a watery grave. 

After having got our prize under way, as I have before re- 
lated, Mr. Mayo directed this individual, who had formed 
one of the party, (for what purpose I know not, unless to get 
rid of liim,) to light a fire and prepare some coffee, of which 
there was plenty on board, for the refreshment of the men. 
In obedience to the order, the fire was soon made, and ere long 
the kettle of water sent forth its clouds of steam, to the satis- 



166 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

faction of all hands, and particularly of ghostly John, who 
prided himself upon his culinary skill. Already the fragrant 
aroma of the crushed berry was regaling the noses of some 
half dozen shivering bipeds congregated at the galley door, 
impatient for the treat, when, quick as a flash, the figure of 
our newly installed cocinero bolted from the galley, his hair 
standing on end, and, with a loud shriek, measured his length 
upon the deck. " What's the matter I" burst from the lips of 
the startled group, completely aghast at this sudden antic of 
their shipmate. "Blast him!" said Mayo, "he has seen the 
ghost. Jump in there, one of you, and look after the coffee." 
A lank Hoosier named Letcher, who also rejoiced in the 
soubriquet of Beans, from his partiality to that vegetable, now 
entered the galley, but it was only to make a rapid transit 
through one door and out of the other, in a scarcely less 
frightened state than the first occupant. The men were now 
really alarmed. The dare-devils who had but an hour and a 
half before rushed at the points of the bayonets leveled at 
them by the enemy, now fell back from the galley with as 
much precipitation as if it had contained a mine of gunpow- 
der about to be fired. " Well," cried Mayo, with an oath, 

" you are a bold set of fellows ! what the is the matter 

with you ? Stand back here, and let's see what's the row." 
Pushing the men aside right and left, he made his way to the 
galley, and putting his head inside the door, instantly jerked it 
out again. At the same moment a most unearthly groan salu- 
ted our astonished ears. We were completely nonplussed, and 
stared at each other in a manner that would have amused an 
uninterested beholder, while John the drayman whimpered 
out, " Why don't you go in now ?" and our friend Beans gave 
it as his opinion that the devil was in the galley, swearing that 
he saw his eyes. We now drew towards the galley in a body, 
and when within a few paces, a succession- of low moans fell 
upon our ears, which caused a few of the most superstitious to 
crowd back ; while Mayo and the rest of us, convinced that 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 167 

the sounds were of an earthly nature, commenced a thorough 
search of the place, which resulted in the discovery of a tall 
cadaverous specimen of the genus homo, whose body and limbs 
were compressed into a space of scarce sufficient capacity to 
have squeezed a small child. Firmly fixed between the 
back of the stove and the caboose, he was lying upon his side, 
his head and feet hidden from sight by a pile of wood upon 
each side of the range. His presence had not been discovered 
by any of the occupants of the place, until his groans, extort- 
ed by the roasting process he was undergoing from the hot 
stove, betrayed him. Firmly believing that making himself 
known would have been but the first step to his being dis- 
patched, he had remained in this uncomfortable berth until he 
was fairly roasted out. The poor fellow was almost dead, 
between fear and burning, and so much exhausted as to be 
utterly incapable of extricating himself, and he could not be 
released without getting burnt still more, until the stove was 
moved ; and Ave were finally obliged to unlash the galley and 
raise it, when he rolled out upon the deck, as pitiable a looking 
object as I ever saw. He was the cook of the prize, and at 
the commencement of the attack had stowed himself away 
in this place for safety, from which he had put the whole of our 
victorious band to flight. Being an Italian, we received him 
into the service ; and although no fighting-man, in his line as 
a cocinero he afterwards rendered the state some service. 

We parted with the Liberty on the night of the 5th, and 
saw no more of her until we joined her off Passo Cavallo, at 
the entrance of Matagorda Bay. The vessel was a frail Mexi- 
can-built craft of 200 tons' burthen, and evidently intended 
for the contraband trade, for there was hardly a spot about her 
which did not, upon strict search, disclose some secret recep- 
tacle for the concealment of the smaller kinds of merchandize. 
By the manifest, a copy of which we found on board, her 
cargo purported to be five hundred barrels of flour, potatoes, 
apples, and onions, together with some fifty half-barrels of 



168 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

butter, besides an almost endless variety of other articles 
of provision and merchandize, all of which made the cost 
value of the cargo somewhere about sixty thousand dollars. 
The run of the vessel, and the forepeak beneath the forecastle 
floor, was filled with the finest quality of china ware, and the 
private lockers were stowed with jewelry, musical instruments, 
rich dry goods, etc., mostly intended to be smuggled ashore. 
Seldom was so rich a cargo shipped on board a vessel of her 
class ; and as these various articles were revealed one after 
another, our visions of prize-money gradually expanded, 
until the fortune of each had assumed a magnitude very grati- 
fying to contemplate. 

On the morning of the 9th of February we made the coast 
at the entrance of the Bay of Matagorda. Here we found the 
Liberty, in company with the brig Matawamkeag, having on 
board a company of volunteers under the command of Capt. 
Morehead. These volunteers were from New- York, and I im- 
mediately recollected having spoken the same vessel, with the 
same party on board, in the month of December previous, 
while making a short trip to supply the lighthouse at Key- 
West with oil. They had been captured and detained at New- 
Providence, by the British authorities, for committing some 
depredations in the way of supplying themselves with live 
stock, without troubling themselves about the payment for the 
same, and were detained about six weeks. 

On coming in sight of our consort, we answered the private 
signal made by the Liberty, and in the course of an hour were 
at anchor alongside of that vessel. The pilot was already on 
board of the brig, awaiting the subsiding of the heavy swell 
which set in from the Gulf, rendering the passage of the* bar 
dangerous. We came to anchor about nine, a. m. and were 
anxiously awaiting the moment when we should receive the 
signal to weigh, when two more sail were reported in the off- 
ing, standing in. These new-comers we soon made out to 
be two large vessels — the sloops-of-war Boston and Natchez. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 169 

As soon as their character was ascertained, their presence 
occasioned considerable uneasiness on the quarter-deck, par- 
ticularly when it was discovered that they still continued to 
stand in towards us. By the help of our glasses we could dis- 
cover that they were feeling their way with the lead with great 
caution. This boded no gocd to us ; and while Walker was 
easing his mind with a volley of imprecations at our com- 
mander's stupidity, the Liberty's boat made its appearance. A 
few orders were instantly given, and the boat returned. The 
next moment all three vessels were simultaneously heaving 
short, and ere our sails were loosened, the spars of Uncle Sam's 
cruisers were stripped of everything but their three topsails, 
and they were clewed up, and came down by the run upon the 
caps, as the ponderous anchors splashed from their bows, and 
they came-to, head to the wind. 

We were under way by the time they had launched their 
boats, and the brig, with the pilot on board, took the lead, the 
Liberty following and the Pelican bringing up the rear. The 
two former passed the bar without difficulty. We alone, in the 
prize, were destined to be unfortunate. When about the top 
of the bar, we struck heavily, completely stopping our head- 
way, at the same time pressing us to leeward. Our situation 
was now desperate, as no assistance could reach us in time to 
be of service. The vessel was every moment lifted upon huge 
rollers, which on passing would let her down upon the hard 
sand with fearful force. We now broached to with our broad- 
side to the sea, and soon struck with such force that the masts 
went by the board ; and as Walker shouted a precautionary 
"Look-out for yourselves!" to the men, the vessel rolled par- 
tially over, striking upon her beam ends, when the whole fabric 
broke up in an instant, and I found myself struggling in the 
waves. 

My brain was in such a whirl of excitement, from the events 
which had passed so rapidly, (for five minutes had hardly elapsed 
from the moment we struck until the destruction of the vessel,) 

15 



170 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

that I had no opportunity to think what course to pursue. It 
seemed to rue as if was in a dream. Once, and once only, I 
grasped at something, and got hold of and touched it ; but it 
eluded my grasp, and after that I recollect nothing, until I 
struck the sand with such force as to awaken me to a sense 
of my situation. I opened my eyes just in time to find that the 
undertow was again taking me out to sea ; and although I 
grasped at the sand, and made giant efforts to gain a foothold, 
I felt it was all in vain, and had almost resigned myself to my 
fate, when my course was arrested by the grasp of a friendly 
hand on my arm, and the voice of Jim O'Connor fell upon my 
ear with, " Ye are not going to lave us that way, are yez?" 

What happened during the next hour I know not. When 
I recovered my consciousness I was lying upon a sandhill in 
the warm sun. Three or four others of the crew were lying 
beside me, and the rest, assisted by a strong party from the 
Liberty, were busy securing whatever came ashore from the 
wreck. In a short time I felt sufficiently recovered to lend a 
hand, and by nightfall we had succeeded in saving upwards 
of two hundred barrels of flour in a damaged state. Many of 
these were stove, and some which were knocked to pieces were 
found to contain in the centre a 25-pound keg of powder, which 
we afterwards found was the case with all of them. We like- 
wise saved about two thousand dollars' worth of jewelry, 
concealed in false bottoms of thin trunks made of mahogany 
veneers, which were otherwise filled with dry goods, most of 
which had burst out. 

Thus in a moment, as it were, vanished our day-dreams of 
wealth, and it was natural we should curse the unwelcome 
strangers who had so signally destroyed the success of our 
cruise at a moment when it appeared to be complete. The 
various articles saved were piled up out of the reach of the 
surf, and at night the majority of our party rejoined the Liberty, 
which lay at anchor near the pilot-house. The Boston and 
Natchez, after witnessing the mischief they had done, hove up 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 171 

their anchors and took their departure, as if perfectly satisfied 
with the result of their operations, and we saw them no more. 

After a short sojourn at this place, everything being secured 
from the wreck, we weighed our anchor and proceeded to 
Matagorda, which lies some forty miles north of Passo Cavallo, 
at the head of the bay. It was a bright morning, the breeze 
blowing fresh, and well aft. The mainboom was swung well 
forward by means of the boom-tackle and pennant. The peak 
down-haul having got loose, it swung out to the end of the 
gpar, and Mr. Mayo ordered our friend, John the drayman, who 
had with the rest escaped the wreck, to lay out and bring it in. 
In obedience to the order, the unfortunate man proceeded to the 
end of the boom, laid hold of the rope, and had returned about 
half-way, when he was seen to spring to his feet upon the nar- 
row spar, and throwing up his arms, his eyes starting from his 
head, he shouted, " He is coming !" and at the instant fell 
from the boom, the water receiving and closing over him for 
ever. The vessel was brought to the wind and the boat 
lowered, but nothing more was seen of John the drayman. 

At half-past one we came in sight of the anchorage, nine 
miles below the town of Matagorda. Here we discovered 
three other vessels at anchor, which proved to be the Texan 
schooners-of-war Independence, of seven guns, bearing the broad 
pendant of Commodore Charles E, Hawkins ; the Brutus, of 
eight guns, Capt. Hurd ; and the brig Durango, merchantman. 
These vessels of war, although belonging to the Texan service, 
carried the flag of the United States. On coming in sight of 
them our vessel immediately showed her number, and made 
the private signal prescribed by the rules of the service ; but 
these gallant seamen appeared to take no notice of them. 
Worse than this, our glasses disclosed to us that they were 
clearing their decks for action. This was no sooner discovered^ 
than our drum beat to quarters, and in a few moments our 
decks were cleared, the guns cast loose, matches lit, and every 
preparation made to meet the strangers either as friends or foes. 



172 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

We were now fast approaching the anchorage. The men, 
ranged around the guns, armed to the teeth, apparently looked 
upon the prospect of a brush with our friends with as much 
pleasure as they would with the Mexicans. When within 
hailing distance, an officer from the deck of the Commodore 
demanded the name and character of our vessel. To these 
questions Capt. Brown replied interrogatively : " Don't you 
Bee the number at my mast-head ?" This answer did not suit 
his excellency the Commodore, and the questions were again 
repeated, accompanied by the threat of firing into us in case 
of not receiving an explicit answer. The threat failed of pro- 
ducing the desired effect, as the matches were instantly snatched 
from the tubs, where they were burning ; while our commander 
roared in a loud tone of defiance, " Fire, if you dare !" This 
answ er, and the display of our warlike attitude, in connection 
with the ugly-looking set of customers upon our deck, cooled 
the courage of his excellency amazingly. The drums of both 
vessels beat the retreat from quarters, and passing between 
them unmolested, we came to anchor ahead and to windward 
of both of them. 

In the course of a couple of hours we received a visit 
from the Commodore, a medium-sized gentleman with a very 
severe expression of countenance, dressed in the full uniform 
of a post-captain of the United States service. He was ac- 
companied by his flag-lieutenant, likewise in full uniform. 
Their appearance, taken in connection with the fact that the 
flag of the United States was unlawfully waving over the ves- 
sels they commanded, which vessels belonged to no recognised 
power, presented all the points of a piratical masquerade, 
which our own appearance helped to make up. The Commo- 
dore, well skilled in naval etiquette, bowed gracefully, as he 
reached the gangway, and proceeding to the quarter-deck, im- 
mediately gave directions — or, I should rather say, orders — to 
haul down the Mexican flag, which was flying at our peak, 
and to substitute the American flag in its place, alleging that 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 173 

the Mexican flag not being recognized by foreign vessels of 
war, on account of the figures before-mentioned, we would be 
subject to capture. He gave our commander to understand 
that no umbrage would be taken by the American government 
at our using its flag until the independence of the country 
was declared, which measure was already in progress, and 
when accomplished, a flag would be at once adopted and pre- 
sented to the world for recognition. To all this our com- 
mander replied, that it would do very well for those who 
designed to lie at anchor in the harbors of the country and 
eat the government provisions, without rendering any ser- 
vice in return. This answer seemed to exasperate his excel- 
lency somewhat, as a very exciting discussion immediately 
commenced, which was carried on for some time with consider- 
able warmth. The controversy appeared to have arisen from 
the refusal of our commander to recognise the authority of 
the Commodore over the Liberty. At length that officer took 
his leave, turning and delivering himself with u The Lord be 
with you !'' as he mounted the gangway. This was the only 
time he honored the vessel with his presence during his stay 
in the port. 



CHAPTER XVII, 



Capt. Wheelwright — His reception— The Middy taken by surp'ise — 
Advance of the Mexicans upon Matagorda — Departure of the Commo- 
dore — We visit the deserted town — Proceed to save the property — 
The drunken fraternity — All infected — A stormy night and an uncom- 
fortable bed-fellow — Col. Wharton — Capt. Brown's lodgings — Prepare 
for a start— The scout— My birds flown— Start for the vessel — I'm sold 
— Walker's sympathy— Return to the town— The planter and his daugh- 
ter— My new occupation — Short notice to quit— Arrive safe on board. 

The next day the boat of the Independence came alongside 
with an armed crew, under the command of the flagf-lieuten- 

15* 



174 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

ant, bringing with him a new commander for our vessel, in the 
person of a Capt. Wheelwright* Measures had been taken by 
Capt. Brown for his reception, and he was met at the gang- 
way and escorted to the cabin, where the dangerous documents 
in his possession were taken from him before being opened. 
While this business was in progress aft, the men were piped 
to grog, and the boat's crew of the Independence were invited 
on board, to partake with them. The unsuspecting midshipman 
in charge gave the necessary permission, and as they came on 
board, their places were instantly filled, to the astonishment of 
the middy, by a number of our marines, who, without even say- 
ing, by your leave, immediately passed the arms of the boat's 
crew, on board, where they were safely transferred to our arm- 
chests. The lieutenant and his party were then politely dis- 
missed, with the caution to make no such attempts in future. 

Capt. Wheelwright remained w r ith us, a prisoner on board ' 
of the vessel which he had received orders, from the only legal 
authorities in the country, to assume the command of. No 
farther communication was held with us by the Commodore 
and his coadjutors, and we busied ourselves about our own 
affairs, taking no more notice of them. It could have been 
nothing but arrant cowardice that prevented them from attack- 
ing us, as either of their vessels was heavy enough to have 
blown us out of the water ; and although they both brought 
forward the plea that they were short-handed, yet the two 
vessels could have mustered some eighty men, which doubled 
the number on board our vessel. It was a significant fact, that 
neither of these officers, Hawkins and Hurd, ever made any 
demonstration against the enemy during the war. Their 
vessels were ever found safely at anchor in some one of the 
different harbors of Texas, while the others, under Captains 
Jerry Brown, Hoyt, and Thompson, of Mexican celebrity, 
were always found harrassing the coast of Mexico, and paying 
them in their own coin for the devastations they had com- 
mitted in our country. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 175 

For several days after these events transpired, nothing 
of note occurred. The men lounged about in listless idle- 
ness, and the time began to wear heavily upon us, when we 
received the startling news that our army had fallen back from 
the Colorado river, and that the Mexicans were advancing 
upon Matagorda. Upon the receipt of this information, the 
Independence and Brutus got under way and sailed for Galves- 
ton, leaving us and the Durango the sole occupants of the bay. 
Nothing could have pleased us more. From the commander 
down, all expressed their gratification at this unlooked-for 
movement, and it was at once resolved to visit Matagorda and 
render the flying inhabitants all the assistance that lay in our 
power. To ascertain the state of affairs in the town, which 
we had not as yet visited, the captain's boat was at once 
manned and proceeded to the place. My duty as midshipman 
gave me the opportunity to participate in every boat expedi- 
tion, and I accompanied the captain in all cases while on board 
of our vessel. We were likewise accompanied by Col. John 
A. Wharton, an officer in the army, invalided in consequence 
of a wound received at the sie^e of the Alamo. After a lon£ 
pull against the strong current setting out from the Colorado, 
we reached the landing of the town, which is situated upon 
the right bank of the Colorado, where it empties into the bay. 
The landing, a large space cleared of the heavy canebrake 
which everywhere else lined the bank and extended into the 
river some forty feet, was literally covered with piles of mer- 
chandise of every description, which had been removed from 
the town, in readiness for shipment on board of whatever ves- 
sels might chance to enter the port. But the premature intel- 
ligence that the enemy were near the place, had put the people 
to flight, leaving their property to take care of itself. 

Giving the boat in charge of the men, the captain and 
Col. Wharton proceeded to the settlement, some three hundred 
yards from the top of the bank, and I was ordered to accom- 
pany them. A small white flag was flying from the gable of 



176 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

a large wooden store-house which stood nearest to the river. 
This I was commanded to take down, which being accom- 
plished, we continued on. The town, consisting of some 
twenty or thirty houses and stores, was completely deserted : 
not a soul was to be seen in any direction. We entered a 
store, and found the counters piled with dry goods, clothing, 
etc. A characteristic feature of the habits of the country 
struck me forcibly, as my eye fell upon the immense quantities 
of playing-cards which lay in every direction. 

From this store we proceeded to the place which had for- 
merly been the hotel of the town. Here we found a super- 
annuated negress, who, gave the massa's to understand that 
she had been left in charge of the hostel, while massa and 
missus had sought safety beyond the Brazos. We immediately 
installed ourselves in this house, and after ordering dinner, the 
materials of which the hostess promised to provide, the sub- 
ject of a plan of operations was brought forward. It was 
outrageous to let so much property as was in this place fall 
into the hands of the Mexicans, while there was even a chance 
of saving it. But the uncertainty of the whereabouts of these 
gentry puzzled us in the extreme. At length the wise course 
was adopted, of acting for the present as the absolute neces- 
sities of the moment required. By the time this conclusion 
was arrived at, our hostess gave notice that dinner was ready. 
This disposed of, I was ordered to return to the Liberty, with 
orders for Mr. Walker to send immediately on shore as many 
men as could be spared from the vessel, together with all the 
boats that could be procured. Orders were also given to have 
the brig Durango, which was of light draught, sent as near 
the place as possible. 

With the injunction to use all possible dispatch, I started 
upon my mission, and in a few moments reached the boat. 
Here a scene disclosed itself which rendered abortive every 
effort on my part to execute the orders of my superior. The 
men were stretched upon boxes and bales, and otherwise vari- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 177 

ously bestowed — some dozing, others wrangling and fighting, 
and all of them so drunk that any attempt to proceed for the 
present would have been worse than useless. I now for the 
first time noticed some twenty or thirty barrels and quarter- 
pipes of liquors, which were intermingled among the rest of 
the merchandize. A number of large tin pans were scattered 
around, partly filled with villainous brandy, which I imme- 
diately poured upon the ground ; and proceeding to the house, 
I reported the state of things at the landing to my commander, 
who was by this time beginning to feel the effects of the copious 
libations he had indulged in, probably to promote digestion. 
After receiving the communication with drunken gravity, he 
ordered me to bring them up to the house and keep them by 
me until they became sober. Returning to the landing, I suc- 
ceeded in coaxing a couple of the rascals to the house, where, 
as the only means of securing them, I gave them as much 
liquor as they could drink. 

The day, the early part of which had been fine and warm, 
was now just the reverse, the rain falling in frequent and heavy 
showers, and by four p. m. it rained in torrents without inter- 
mission. In a short time the remainder of the boat's crew, 
partially sobered by the cold bath which aroused them from 
their drunken slumbers, came staggering along one by one, and 
by the time night closed in we were all snugly housed. 

An immense fire in an out-house used as a kitchen, served 
to dry the clothing of the men, who, after they had partaken 
of a warm supper, began to hanker after the syren of the still, 
and ere I was aware of the manoeuvre, one of their number was 
dispatched to the bank of the river, armed with an old tea- 
kettle, who presently returned fully charged with the extract 
of rye. I could have taken possession of the liquor, and I had 
already received orders to prevent them from procuring any 
more, but this order was more easily given than executed ; and 
knowing that my commander's situation enabled me to do so 
with impunity, I chose to disobey it. By ten o'clock the men 



178 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

were all drunk and snoring ; and after destroying the liquor, 
except just enough to give each of them a glass in the morn- 
ing, I fastened the doors .windows there were none) and took 
possession of a fine feather-bed, which the old negress, into 
whose good graces I had already got, had assigned me. After 
listening a short time to the loud brawling of my respected 
chief and his ( ompanion, who were making a night of it in an 
adjoining room, I fell asleep — the only sober person in the 
house, with the exception of our colored landlady. 

During the night I was aroused from my slumbers by some- 
thing which felt like a coarse rasp grating down the entire 
length of one of my legs, almost stripping off the skin. Quickly 
raising and turning myself, I discovered that some person, with 
his clothes completely saturated with water, had introduced 
himself between the sheets, and was already sound asleep. In 
endeavoring to make out who it was, my fingers encountered 
the gold lace shoulder-straps of the coat of Col. Walker, and 
a little farther examination revealed the fact that he had come 
to bed, like a trooper's horse, all standing, without omitting 
his boots. The colonel evidently had an eye to a hasty retreat, 
in case of a surprise by the enemy. My compatriot was an 
uneasy bed-fellow, and it was with a great deal of satisfaction 
that I beheld the advent of another day. 

As soon as it was light enough I parted company with my 
illustrious bed-fellow, and dressing myself, proceeded to recon- 
noitre. My commander was snoring in the ashes of a large 
fireplace in another of the out-houses, his clothes drenched 
with rain, a large puddle of which had drained from his clothes 
and lay beside him. The old negress, stooping above him with 
a lighted match, was trying either to set his nose or the pile 
of wet wood in a blaze ; and from appearances, the captain's 
nose would have burnt much more freely than the material of 
which she was trying to make a fire. The two officers, it 
appeared, had been upon some nocturnal excursion, for what 
purpose I could not ascertain. The out-house where the boat's 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 179 

crew were held in durance, gave forth no sounds except the 
loud snores of the men. Everything being safe in that direc- 
tion, I proceeded to the landing, and found the boat half full of 
water. I baled it out, and having got everything in readiness 
for a start, returned to the house. Here I encountered a tall 
sun-burnt man, dressed in buckskin rifle-shirt and breeches, 
fringed at the seams and edges ; a long rifle was slung under 
his arm, with powder-horn and bullet-pouch to match, A 
coonskin cap, Indian moccasons, heavy bowie-knife and pistols, 
completed his equipments, and indicated the character of his 
business in language plainer than words. He was mounted 
upon one of the sturdy native horses, much above the usual 
size of the Mustang breed, which had the appearance of having 
been hardly ridden; but the vicious nature of the race still 
gleamed from the wild eye of the animal, whose mouth unwill- 
ingly held one of the heavy Spanish bits, furnished with rollers 
to prevent his taking the reins of government, as well as of the 
bridle, into his own control. 

Half a gbnee told me that this person was one of the 
scouts belonging to the army. Disengaging his feet from the 
stirrups, and springing to the ground, he extended his broad 
palm, and giving my hand a hearty shake, saluted me with, 
" Wall, stranger, how fare ye in old Mata f and where' s the 
garrison I" After assuring him that the garrison and all in 
the house were well, I inquired if there were any of the enemy 
near the place. " Wall, yes, stranger, there's a right smart 
chance of the sarpents not far off ; but I guess they'll not be 
here right away. Old Fillisola don't move very fast, though 
Santa's pushing on after old Sam like h — 11." All this was 
perfectly intelligible, and the appearance of Captains Brown 
and Wharton put an end to any further questions on my part. 
After hobbling his horse, an operation performed by fastening 
the fore-legs of the animal with a short strap to prevent his stray- 
ing, the trio disappeared into the house, while I was directed 
to proceed to the Liberty with the orders of the previous day. 



180 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Upon going to the out-house where the men were lodged, 
what was my dismay to find the whole front of it in ruins, 
and the birds flown. In an instant I went to the landing, 
where I found the crew already at work upon the casks of 
liquor. Almost at the risk of my life, I instantly upset the 
various vessels of liquor which had already been drawn, and 
succeeded, after considerable expostulation, in getting the men 
into the boat and shoving off. Everything now seemed to 
promise well, and for the first half hour we made rapid pro- 
gress toward the vessels. The men, upon leaving the river, 
had filled a couple of tin pans with water to drink, when 
we should get into the bay, and now having reached a point 
where the water was rather brackish, the thirst became gene- 
ral, and every few minutes some one of them would cockbill 
his oar and take a drink out of one of the pans. Not suspect- 
ing any trick, I paid no attention to these movements until we 
had gone about two-thirds of the distance, when the strange 
actions of some of the men attracted my attention, and in a 
few moments I was conscious of being sold — duped. Jim 
O'Connor was jusfe in the act of taking a swig, when I seized 
the vessel and my suspicions were confirmed. The water 
taken from the river before my eyes was a mere ruse. The 
men had been drinking whisky the whole time ! I now 
commenced a search, in which I found the water untoucked, 
while the men had succeeded in disposing of nearly a gallon 
of whisky. 

Anxious to get the boat as near the vessel as possible, 
before the natural consequences of this proceeding should ren- 
der me helpless, I urged the men to give way with a will, 
and inclined the course of the boat toward the north shore or 
head of the bay ; knowing that if the crew gave out, the cur- 
rent, which set down toward the schooner, would carry me 
within hail. In a few minutes the last act of the play was 
commenced by two of the crew striking their oars foul, and 
pitching backward into the bottom of the boat, where they 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 181 

remained without even an effort to rise. With great difficulty 
I succeeded in saving the oars, and once more directed the 
boat towards the vessel, and by the time I arrived within hail, 
there were but two" men who could keep their seats, and they 
were nearly helpless. Walker observed the predicament I 
was in, and sent a boat with sober men from the vessel to my 
relief; and 1 at length reached my destination, where the 
officer in command, after I explained the trick whivh had been 
played upon me, not being in a very good humor, cursed me 
for a stupid greenhorn, for allowing myself to be outwitted, at 
the same time treating the boat's crew to an unmerciful ropes- 
ending. 

I was allowed to remain on board just long enough to get 
my breakfast, when I was ordered to return to the town with 
the captain's gig, while Mr. Mayo, with some twenty of the 
crew, followed with the heavier boats. Upon landing again, 
I found the party there augmented by the addition of a Mr. 
C , a gentleman who was the proprietor of a large plan- 
tation upon the Colorado. This person was accompanied by 
his daughter; and a beautiful girl was Miss Caroline, and mis- 
chievious withal, though not designedly so, as the hearts of 
the gallant doctor and purser of the Liberty will acknow- 
ledge. While she remained with us she was the cynosure of 
all eyes — the toasted reigning belle of the day. 

The men were instantly set to work at loading three 
large clinker-built lighters, which had been hidden somewhere 
in the canebrake, and I was introduced to the young lady as 
her escort, with orders to do her behests in all things lawful, 
by our commander, who I had hardly supposed possessed so 
much gallantry as he exhibited on this occasion. 

The place now presented quite a contrast to its appear- 
ance on the morning of our first landing ; and as the fear of 
the immediate occupation of the town by the Mexicans wore 
off, we passed our time very pleasantly. The gentlemen 
busied themselves in facilitating the shipment of the merchan- 

16 



182 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

dise, and the scout had again taken himself off to the prairies ; 
while my charge and her humble servant, the only persons of 
leisure, went and came as we chose, seeking our own amuse- 
ment. My fair friend, although somewhat older than myself, 
(four years, I believe,) was an excellent companion. She had 
been reared in the lap of luxury, and had received an elegant 
education, and after accompanying her father through the 
United States in various speculations, they had purchased a 
large tract of land upon the banks of the Colorado, and 
settled themselves down for life, as they thought ; but scarcely 
four years had elapsed when the approach of the Mexicans 
drove them from their happy home ; which, I am sorry to say, 
they found utterly ruined on their return. 

Day after clay passed, and the most valuable portion of the 
goods in the place were safely transferred to the vessels, and I 
became conscious that my very agreeable duty was fast drawing 
to a close. But there was no help for it, and I endeavored to 
put a good face upon the matter. It was just at sun-down, 
and the heavily laden lighters had but a few moments before 
left the landing, when our friend, the scout, galloped up to the 
house, and calling out Capt. Brown and the colonel, spoke a 
few words, the purport of which the distance prevented my 
understanding, and then hurried off. This, from the agitated 
manner of the messenger 2 I conjectured to be a warning that 
the Mexicans were near at hand. The surmise was correct. 
The captain almost immediately entered the room, and directed 
me to have the gig manned at once. As I left the house upon 

this duty, I observed Col. Wharton mount C — 's horse, and 

taking the same course as the scout had previously done, was 
soon lost to view. In five minutes I reported the boat ready. 
" That will do : away with you, (addressing the young lady 
at the same time,) away with you to the Liberty. ,, 

Hurrying my charge along, I soon seated her in the boat, 
and in a few minutes we had cleared the river and entered upon 
the broad waters of the bay. Many were the questions put to 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 183 

me by Miss C , ere we reached the vessel, in regard to 

the place that was assigned her on board the vessel — a mat- 
ter in which I was as much mystified as she was : how- 
ever, I managed to satisfy her as well as I could, though I 
feared that her residence on board would not be as pleasant as 
it had been in Matagorda, poor as it was there. In this I was 
mistaken, however, for in three days she had accommodated 
herself so well to the situation in which she was placed, as to 
be perfectly contented. She had never been upon the water 
before in a small boat, and the motion of the gig alarmed 
her. We got safe on board, however, and my fair friend was 
safely installed in the cabin. I found the Liberty, as well as 
the brig, had been loaded as heavily as possible : in fact, had 
we been attacked, our guns would have been useless until we 
had thrown overboard a large amount of property. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Boat service — The fog — Get lost — In a tight place — Running the gaunt- 
let — The successful ruse — Adieu to Matagorda — My new situation — 
News of the declaration of independence — The new flag — Presenta- 
tion ceremony — Sail for Galveston — Part company with the vessels 
— The gale — The Invincible — Resolve to beach the boat — The lauding 
effected — Jim O'Connor and the whisky-jug — The enemy in sight — 
Land-tacks aboard — West pass of Galveston — The raft — The passage 
effected — The ferry-house — Our wants more than supplied. 

The captain came on board an hour after I had reached 
the vessel. My duties being over for the day, and feeling 
somewhat weary, I turned in, and had already in my dreams 
got back to the town with my late companion, when I was 
roughly shaken by the shoulders and I awoke. It was Walker. 
"What is it?" I inquired, half asleep. "Boat service — want 



184 WILD OATS SOWING.S, 

to go?" I answered by springing out of the berth. "Turn 
in again, boy," said Walker, laughing. "Not yet; I'll call 
you when we are ready." Before I turned in again I went 
upon deck, and the first thing I saw by the light of the moon, 
was some half dozen of the watch passing a quantity of small 
arms into the heaviest of the lighters. The boat pulled 
sixteen oars. I went below again, and passing to my resting- 
place, a hand from behind the curtain of a berth beckoned to 
me. I stepped up to the place, and a voice whispered, hardly 
audible, " Don't you accompany Mr. Walker ; they are going to 
fight the Mexicans." I made no promise, as I could not think 
of Walker going anywhere without my being with him. True 
to his word, Walker roused me at about two in the morning, 
and bidding me hurry up, went upon deck, where I joined him 
in a moment afterwards. 

Everything was ready ; and after receiving orders to fire 
the place, and, if possible, bring away a couple of ship's 
guns, six-pounders, which stood at the side of the road 
leading from the landing to the town, we put off on our 
enterprise. We had the advantage of a fair tide, which, the 
boat being large and heavy, enabled us to get along very expe- 
ditiously. Very soon after starting, Walker cautioned me to 
mind the bearings in case of fog, and then rolled himself up 
in his watch-cloak and went to sleep. 

When within a mile of the mouth of the bayou the anti- 
cipated fog made its appearance, and in a few moments became 
so dense as to prevent me from seeing the bow of the lighter. 
I aroused my superior, and we kept on an hour longer, and 
began to fear that we had miscalculated our distance, when 
the boat forced her way through the crushing cane into a large 
brake. Not knowing the precise locality, the oars were 
trailed alongside, and making fast to the cane, we awaited the 
approach of daAvn. It was not long before the increasing 
light put all hands on the alert to discover our whereabouts, 
but the dense fog prevented any satisfactory result. Suddenly 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 185 

the rattling of some dozen or more drums, far below where we 
were, fell with startling distinctness upon our ears. " What 
in fury is that ?" muttered Walker. " Here's a pretty kettle 
of fish ! We've got ourselves into a hornet's nest ! Boys, have 
your arms ready. We shall be lucky if we get out of this 
scrape without hard knocks. One thing, at all events, I want 
you to understand : there is no mercy to be expected by any 
one who falls into their hands, and I, for one, shall never be 
guilty of the folly of trusting them." In these views we all 
heartily concurred, and extricated the boat from the brake with 
all possible dispatch. 

The fog now became gilded by the rays of the rising sun, 
and presently rolled itself up like some vast curtain, revealing 
the unwelcome assurance, that if we escaped our present peril, 
it was only to be done by running the gauntlet within pistol- 
shot of some six or seven hundred Mexicans posted on the 
top of the bank at the landing. This was in itself enough ; 
and fearing their numbers might be increased, as the sound 
of drums and trumpets came from every direction, the men 
gave way at the oars, and the boat dashed down towards the 
landing. As a ruse, by Walker's direction I had affixed a small 
white flag in the bow of the boat, and stood, boat-hook in 
hand, as if ready to prevent the too forcible contact of the boat 
with the shore. We now approached the landing, which was 
occupied by a squadron of lancers, whom we had not discovered 
before. " Now, my lads, mind what I say ; and when I give 
the word, pull for your lives," said Walker. The shore was 
lined with Mexican officers, a number of whom had affixed their 
white handkerchiefs to their swords, which they waved in 
answer to our flag of truce, with the invitation, " Salta para 
tierra, muchachos nosotros soms amigas" " No doubt, you 
bloody cut-throats!" muttered Walker, rising and returning 
their compliments. The boat's bow was now turned obliquely 
towards the shore, and while we were seemingly striving to 
land her, the strong current of the river, acting upon her broad- 

16* 



186 WIIyD OATS SOWINGS. 

side, swept her rapidly down toward the brake at the lower 
point of the cleared space. The men, although appearing to 
work hard, were only playing 'possum, in accordance with 
Walker's whispered directions, to which our friends on shore 
now began to open their eyes. They at once assumed a 
threatening attitude, but it was too late, for we were almost 
under cover of the brake. As we were swept past, the bow 
was kept pointed for the landing, and was now fairly up stream, 
her headway being completely stopped. "Hurra, my lads; 
stern all!" shouted Walker, instantly jerking the rudder from 
the gudgeons. 

With a couple of back-strokes vigorously given, our boat 
glided under cover of the friendly canebrake, and we were 
safe. A shower of balls, altogether too high for their intended 
object, whistled over our heads and found a resting-place in 
the waves fifty feet beyond us. In derision, we pulled out 
where we could command a view of the long line of troops 
on the bank, and seizing our arms, we returned the enemy's 
salute, and with three hearty cheers for our success, we once 
more turned our boat's head for the vessel, on board of which 
we arrived without any farther adventure. 

As it was no more than reasonable to suppose that the 
enemy would have some naval force to co-operate with them, 
our commander concluded that the sooner we were out of the 
bay the better ; accordingly the dawn of the next day found 
us under way, in company with the brig, for the Passo Cavallo, 
where we came to anchor towards night. From here, while 
preparations were being made for sea, I accompanied an expe- 
dition to burn some government store-houses at Cox's Point, 

When I returned on board, I was proffered and accepted the 
command of one of the lighters, which, loaded with flour, was 
to be taken round to Galveston, Having received permission 
to select my own crew, I chose my friendly Irishman, Jim 
O'Connor, and three others — the number being limited to 
four — and at once took command of my charge ; not, however, 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 187 

without taking leave for the present of my fair friend, Miss 

C , who expressed her regret at our being obliged to 

separate, and gave me to understand that she felt much annoyed 
by the fulsome flatteries of certain of the quarter-deck gentry 
on board, to whom I was aware I was indebted for my present 
command. 

Everything being in readiness for saiMng, the new3 was 
revealed that the independence of the country had been 
declared, and a flag was placed in my hands, with directions 
to fasten it to the hal iards and hoist it. This was done, a 
salute of three times three from all hands greeting the iirst 
unfolding of the flag to the breeze. This was the iirst Texan 
flag that had been hoisted on board any of our national vessels, 
and differed somewhat from the one afterwards adopted. It, 
was said to have been the one used at the siege of San Antonio 
de Bexar, the December previous — a blue field, and in the 
upper corner a single star of Hve points, over which was 
stretched a blood-red arm and hand, holding a naked sword : 
the rest, red and white stripes alternately. The centre white 
stripe contained the word " Independence," in large letters 
reaching its whole length. At the close of this ceremony, 
another, in which I was more intimately concerned, came off. 
Through the hands of my sweet friend I received from Capt. 
Brown the present of a beautiful dirk, with belt, etc., accom- 
panied with many gracious words from the y*uing )ady, bj 
permission of the discretionary power delegated by the com- 
mander on the occasion. 

I was now ordered to proceed on my voyage, and in a short 
time, in company with the Liberty and Durango, we had 
passed the bar, and gaining a good offing, shaped our course 
for Galveston. My little bark made much slower progress 
than the larger vessels, and by sunset they were nearly hull- 
down ahead. But I had been given to understand that I would 
have to depend upon my own wits, and therefore had made 
preparations for every emergency. The nights, especially in 



188 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the winter and spring, were very chilly. I had prepared 
everything for a liberal supply of hot coffee, and had not forgot- 
ten to provide a large jug of whisky, which latter article, how- 
ever, I kept a good look-out for, serving it out to my company 
according to the rules of the service — a measure of precaution 
which did not fail to produce a little grumbling. Everything 
went on smoothly for the time being. The men munched their 
salt junk, and biscuits, washing it down with copious libations 
of coffee, and amused themselves with singing songs and spin- 
ning yarns, until the lights of the vessels, which we had 
occasionally seen, disappeared altogether. The wind blew 
rather too fresh for our comfort, and our little craft occasionally 
shipped more water than suited us ; but we managed to keep 
her free by means of a couple of buckets, which were at length 
kept constantly going. 

But the worst luck was yet to come. A little after mid- 
night the wind shifted to the north, and obliged us to stand 
off shore. This was unpleasant ; however, we made ourselves 
as comfortable as circumstances would allow, and the wind 
soon after moderating, we were relieved from any further neces- 
sity of baleing. Towards morning the wind again breezed up, 
and we made rapid progress during the whole day, nothing 
being in sight but the low range of sand hills which fringed 
the coast. Long ere sunset the boat's crew Jiad sang their 
songs and spnn their yarns for the twentieth time, and at 
length had relapsed into a drowsy silence, unbroken save by 
some exclamation of impatience at the decline of the wind, 
which now threatened to leave us. 

After a calm comes a storm, and the appearance of the 
weather foretold there was to be no exception to the rule in 
our favor. Heavy banks of cloud began to gather in the north 
and east ; but, as if \,6 re-assure us, the breeze again set in 
from the south-east, and we bowled along merrily through the 
smooth water. The night was fine, and the azure vault above 
us was studded with myriads of stars ; but the clouds before- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 189 

mentioned still held their place, as if awaiting their turn at 
the bellows. About ten o'clock I was obliged, by the great 
increase of wind, to reef the mainsail ; and taking in the fore- 
sail, I kept on my course for an hour longer. By this time 
the sea had become quite heavy, and the wind blowing still 
harder, we several times narrowly escaped capsizing. 

We were thus so much occupied with our own affairs, that 
we had not noticed the approach of a large schooner, now 
within hail, and on board of which we were already discovered. 
I recognized the vessel at once as the Invincible, under the 
command of a brother of my own commander, Capt. Jerry 
Brown, who immediately hailed us to know how we got along, 
and advised me to beach the boat as soon as possible, as there 
was every appearance of a norther. By the time he had im- 
parted this information, his vessel had forged ahead out of 
farther hearing, and presently filled away, and left us to chew 
the cud of bitter fancies which he had prescribed. 

To make any farther attempt to keep on my course I knew 
would be next to madness, but the dangerous alternative was 
equally as bad ; and as the latter offered the only chance of 
escape, I resolved to make the attempt. In this manoeuvre 
the boat education I had received at Cape Cod, was of great 
service to me. While living at W , I had frequently ac- 
companied the hardy fishermen of the place to the outside 
coast of the cape, in their quest of the sea-bass, large--quanti- 
ties of which were formerly caught there. The surf breaks 
heavily upon this coast, and the people are very expert in the 
operation of beaching their boats. I would much rather have 
trusted to a good set of oars, but I had not the choice : so I 
commenced operations by throwing overboard the top tier of 
barrels of flour. This measure relieved the boat so much 
that she ceased to ship water to any great extent, and rode 
the huge swells handsomely. 

"We were now rapidly approaching the coast ; but the im- 
mense fields of white caps that intervened, and which we 



190 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

could perceive as we arose upon the crest of the waves, comb- 
ing, bursting, and towering high in the air, almost appalled me. 
But I kept my own counsel, although I felt my heart already 
many degrees below zero. Determined to give the boat all 
the assistance in my power, I shook out the reef in the mainsail 
and hoisted the foresail. As she passed through the trough of 
the seas, where for a moment we were becalmed, I was fear- 
ful the returning waves would render the rudder useless ; I 
had therefore substituted an oar in its place. The men pulled 
with a will, as each swell passed, keeping as much of the 
headway as possible ; but the most fearful part was when the 
little craft, lifted stern first by the seas, hurried along with 
such amazing velocity as to almost take our breath from us. 

As we drew near the outer bar all was a wild chaos of 
bursting waters. How we got through, I know not ; but we 
appeared to be passing through the air, instead of over the 
surface of the water, and in an instant we found ourselves in 
much smoother water. Our sails now again became of ser- 
vice to us, and under their impulse we dashed on toward the 
coast, upon which the surf broke with a deafening roar. 
In compliance with the wishes of the men, who were wet and 
cold, the jug of whisky was passed forward, and after a hearty 
pull at the exciting beverage, they again stationed themselves 
at the oars for the final struggle, which was now fast ap- 
proaching. 

We were already within the influence of the outer break- 
ers, and were being at one moment hurried along at a tre- 
mendous rate, and then, as if by some counteracting power, 
as speedily checked in our mad career. Each succeeding wave 
increased the velocity with which we approached the shore, 
which soon brought our hazardous enterprise to a termination; 
for at length, rising upon the crest of an enormous roller, we 
were borne high upon the beach, where the ,boat was dashed 
upon the shore a complete wreck, pitching me and my com- 
panions headlong upon the sand, and happily terminating our 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 191 

voyage without any farther injury to any of us than bestow- 
ing upon all a sound ducking, which, in view of all the cir- 
cumstances, we were content to put up with. Upon examina- 
tion, we found the barrels of flour stove so badly as to 
render their contents entirely useless. 

Not knowing exactly where we were, I determined to keep 
the beach, as its smooth, hard, sandy road afforded greater facil- 
ities for traveling. The jug of whisky was the only thing we 
recovered from the wreck uninjured, and Jim O'Connor took 
it under his patronage, carrying the article while it contained 
a drop, with as much care as a mother would her infant. 
The first thing to be done, was to make our way to the sand- 
hills and see what discoveries could be made inland. This 
meeting with the assent of all hands, we started, and in a few 
moments reached the top of one of the hills, which commanded 
a view of the prairie. From this spot, the sight of a lo:cg 
range of fires attracted our attention, to the great joy of my 
companions, who at once pronounced in favor of proceeding 
to them. Scarcely believing the enemy had made such pro- 
gress, I was about to comply, when my ear detected a voice in 
the distance. I obtained silence for a second, and made out 
the Mexican "Alerta esta" with a certainty which there was 
no gainsaying. This convinced us it would not do to proceed in 
that, direction ; so again returning to the hard sand, we used 
our utmost endeavors to put as much distance as possible 
between us and the dangerous locality before daybreak. 

The morning light revealed no signs of either friends or 
foes, and we kept on our way, wet, cold, and hungry, and 
ignorant of the distance, or direction in which most readily to 
seek relief, although I concluded that the place where we had 
seen the camp-fires, must be the mouth of the Brazos. In this 
surmise I was not mistaken, but the fires proved to have been 
on the opposite side of the river. About half-past two we 
came to an inlet, which separated us from an island ; and a 
broad sheet of water spreading out between it and the main- 



192 VVI]LD OATS SOWINGS. 

land, convinced me that this was the west pass of Galveston 
Bay, vrhich I had been told was for the most part fordable. 
Jim O'Connor volunteered to try the passage first, and for the 
greater security of the attempt, we constructed a small raft, 
fastening it together with our handkerchiefs, belts, and the 
halliards of the boat's sails, which we had fortunately brought 
along with us. We found no difficulty in procuring wood, 
the beach being heaped with immense quantities of every size, 
from the stick of firewood to the trunks of enormous trees. 

Having completed our raft and launched it, we found that 
it would easily bear the whole of our party ; so having pro- 
vided ourselves with good setting-poles, and stripped off all 
the clothing we could dispense with without freezing, we 
put off. The wind had already shifted to the north-west, 
but contrary to all our expectations, it hardly amounted to a 
stiff whole-sail breeze, but still enough to make the atmo- 
sphere very chilly. Our raft with its heavy load frequently 
grounding, those who could swim stripped altogether and 
waded, pushing the catamaran before them. We now got 
along finely and found ourselves approaching the channel, 
which we crossed without difficulty, and shortly after landed 
upon the island. 

Resuming our clothes and pulling the raft to pieces, we 
proceeded to examine a hut which stood at the top of the 
beach. Everything in and around the place showed that it 
had been very recently inhabited, and that the owner had not 
as yet relinquished his proprietorship. A number of sides of 
bacon hung against the wall, a welcome sight to our famishing 
party. A few moments' farther search disclosed a half-barrel 
of flour, some coffee, sugar, and what was more grateful to 
my companions, a small keg in which still remained a couple 
of gallons of whisky. But all were too hungry, for the time 
being, to think of anything but the eatables, and in a short 
time a bountiful repast was spread upon the rough table of the 
shanty, to which we all did ample justice. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 193 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The drunken revel — Search for the whisky — Baffled — Accidental dis- 
covery — Start for the east end of the island — The halt — Arrive at 
Galveston — Mrs. White — Rejoin the liberty — Boat duty — Miss C. and 
her admirers — Plot and counter-plot — Scandalizing the commander- 
in-chief — The serenade — The denouement — The rivals cured — Trouble 
aboard — The delinquent cook — The refractory crew — The author in 
irons — Release — Take French leave. 

The day was now spent, and the men having found an old 
slush lamp and a greasy pack of cards, took possession of the 
aforementioned whisky, and proposed to make a night of it. 
Looking upon the matter as a sort of thanksgiving frolic for 
our recent escape, I joined the party, for the purpose of making 
away with the liquor as soon as possible. They had followed 
my counsels in everything since we had landed, but I was 
aware that the moment they became drunk I should have an 
ugly set to deal with. 

The greater part of the night was consumed in card-play- 
ing, drinking, singing, and uproar, but towards morning the 
noisy tempest was stilled. I would have destroyed the element 
of mischief at once, but to my surprise, on examination I 
found the keg empty, and all my endeavors to discover the 
whereabouts of the liquor were fruitless. Vexed at being 
thus baffled, I lay down upon the table, and following the 
example of the rest, was soon asleep. 

I awoke shivering with cold, and after a run upon the 
beach to warm myself, I returned to the shanty and built a 
fire, for the purpose of making some coffee. The coffee pot 
or kettle had disappeared, and I at once knew what to search 
for, to find the liquor, and examined the sand which formed 
the floor, and scraped it with my fingers in every direction, 
but in vain ; I at length noticed that O'Connor, in his sleep, 
had rolled from the spot where he had first laid. Here I sought, 

17 



194 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and in a few seconds the object of my anxiety was safe in my 
possession. Pouring three quarters of its contents upon the 
sand, I returned the vessel to its hiding-place, and smoothing 
over the sand again, I left the hut, and mounted one of the 
sand hills, to see what discoveries I could make seaward. A 
couple of vessels far out upon the gulf was all that broke the 
monotony of the waves ; while upon the prairie, at the distance 
of some six hundred yards, a flock of deer, which had been 
grazing, disturbed by my appearance, tossed their graceful 
heads, and snuffing the air, bounded off with the fleetness of 
the wind, from what they no doubt considered a dangerous 
proximity. 

In my ramble I discovered a camp among the sand-hills, 
where a low rack had been built, on which was laid a large 
quantity of venison cut in long strips, ribs, etc. A smoulder- 
ing fire of old stumps still sent forth its smoke upon the meat 
above it ; and, now convinced that the owner of the place we 
had so unceremoniously taken possession of could not be far 
off, I returned to the hut, -where I found my compagnons de 
voyage busily engaged in preparing breakfast. I communicated 
to them the discovery I had made, and all agreed that we had 
better put out immediately. Our breakfast was dispatched as 
speedily as possible, and once more we took up our line of march 
on the beach, carrying with us the remains of our late meal. 

The weather was beautiful, and it was long past noon ere 
we halted to refresh ourselves, which we did on the bank of a 
small bayou that empties into the gulf, about midway of the 
island. Here, among other things, the men produced a small 
calabash of whisky which had escaped my search, and with 
many sly winks and jokes it was passed around, Jim O'Connor 
pronouncing it the only indestructible thing he ever fell in with 
since he joined the service. 

One of the men, in rambling up the bank of the little 
stream, discovered some fine oysters, and on further search find- 
ing them in abundance, we kindled a fire of drift-wood by 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 195 

means of a small pistol, whi^h we found in the hut, together 
with a small quantity of powder, and made quite a feast. While 
engaged in this occupation, we were surprised by a couple of 
hunters from the east end of the island. They informed us 
that we had some fifteen miles farther to travel before reach- 
ing the place of our destination, where the Liberty had already 
arrived. According to their account, a large number of the 
settlers had fled to the eastern end of the island for the pro- 
tection of the vessels of war, and were then encamped there. 

After giving us all the information they could, we parted 
company and proceeded on our journey. About ten p. m. we 
reached the encampment. I had forgotten to mention that when 
we entered Matagorda Bay we found a number of women and 
children, the families of men absent with the army, who had 
been sent on board of the brig Durango for safety. Among 
these was the wife of a sergeant of the name of White, with 
whom I had become partially acquainted. Entering one of 
the tents, I found this lady, who invited me to make myself 
at home ; and as it was not the time for ceremony, I directed 
the men to shift for themselves the best way they could, and 
turned into my new quarters, where for the first time in a 
week I succeeded in getting a night's rest. 

The next day I rejoined the Liberty with my companions, 
where we had been given up for lost. After hearing my 
report, Capt. Brown commended the course I had taken in 
beaching the boat, which was undoubtedly the means of saving 
our lives. My boat duty at once recommenced, and I was 

kept continually going on some errand or other. Miss C 

had been removed to the Durango, there being superior ac- 
commodations for her on board of that vessel. Here she was 
alternately visited by the doctor and purser, much to her an- 
noyance. Dr. Kemp, of the Liberty, was a dapper little 
fellow of about five feet, including his boots. Where he got 
his title, was a subject as problematical as his knowledge of 
the profession. It was doubtful whether he ever pretended to 



196 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

either before he entered the service of the Texan government 
in that capacity. However, as he never ventured beyond a 
dose of salts, which he held to be a sort of universal panacea, 
in the case of our own men ; and lint and hog's lard in that 
of the wounded prisoners, whose sufferings were brought to a 
speedy termination, being pronounced incurable from the first 
by our worthy esculapian ; he was regarded as a remarkable 
specimen of the faculty by the crew; although, forgetting the 
deference and respect duo to an occupant of the quarter-deck, 
they did not fail to make him the subject of many practical 
jokes, which, owing to the total absence of all discipline on 
board, were sure to go unpunished. This individual was more 
commonly called among the crew " Multwn in Parvo" the term 
by which he usually described the qualities of his favorite 
specific. 

Unfortunately for the doctor's peace, he had fallen des- 
perately in love with our fair passenger, whose smiles filled him 
with extasies, but whose frowns were — something else. Mr. 
Fischer, the purser, was the very antipodes of the fabricator 
of boluses — tall, lank, and cadaverous, with long soap-locks 
hanging over his cheeks of a nut-brown hue, fine blue eyes, 
and teeth which rivaled the snow in their whiteness ; and 
being of a generous nature, and the very essence of good 
humor, he was a favorite with all hands. This person was the 
rival, the hated rival of the former individual in the good 
graces of the fair lady ; but although by far the most compan- 
ionable of the two, he found less favor in his suit than the other. 
Whether she was fearful that he might make an impression or 
not, I could not find out. At all events, the lady treated him 
with incivility almost, as he expressed it, amounting to rude- 
ness. The rebuffs whicjh the purser met with did not mollify 
the wrath of the gallant doctor in the least, who had already 
threatened the execution of speedy vengeance upon his rival 
in case his visits were not discontinued. 

Thus far matters had progressed when I rejoined the vessel, 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 197 

the lad j having removed to the brig the day before, an injunc- 
tion being laid upon the belligerents, forbidding either to follow 
her. Each reproached the other as the cause of their common 
misfortune ; and upon my reappearance, knowing that my 
duty would often cany me on board of the brig, my favor was 
courted by both parties, with the object of making me the 
bearer of their billets doux. The doctor took the precaution to 
sound me as to my own feelings towards his lady-love ; and 
finding everything right, as he supposed, he made me his confi- 
dant, assuring me he was already an accepted lover. This was 
news to Walker and myself. By the way, the first lieutenant 
had seen fun ahead, and had directed me to report to him in 
all things pertaining to the matter. 

During the day I visited the brig some half-dozen times, 
in the course of which I was the bearer of four notes of the 

tenderest description. I informed Miss C of what was 

going on, and received permission to make whatever disposition 
I pleased of the missives. After she had read them, I imme- 
diately transferred them to W , who in his turn imparted 

their contents to all the other officers, with the exception of 
the two heroes of the sport. The next clay my agency was 
demanded to deliver a couple of notes. Of course I complied, 
and they followed the course of the others. 

In the latter part of the forenoon the doctor went on shore 
to visit some sick person. As he stepped from the boat I took 
him by the button. " Do you know what's going on to-night, 
doctor?" He answered in the negative, requesting me to 

enlighten him. "Fischer is going to serenade Miss C 

from the brig's boat astern, by the captain's permission," re- 
plied I. " The devil ! that wont do." " Cut that's not the best 
of the joke." " How so f " The , lady will not be on board." 
The idea of this joke almost threw him into hysterics of laugh- 
ter, and he ran off upon his m ssion in high glee. 

I returned on board to dinner, during which occurred the 
following brief conversation between Walker and the purser: 



198 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

"Fischer, you are pretty good upon the flute?" "Tolerable, 

but a little out of practice," replied F modestly. " Pshaw, 

man," continued W , "you are a perfect Orpheus: you 

fairly make the instrument speak, if I am any judge of music. 
I wonder neither you or the doctor have never thought of 

serenading Miss C . Why don't you get up something of 

that kind?" " Capital idea! excellent!" said F , rubbing 

his hands and skipping about; " I can sit in the boat under 
the cabin windows — there's no order against that, is there V 9 

" None at all," replied W , winking at the rest of us. It 

was arranged that Mr. F should be put into the boat at 

eight in the evening, and that the doctor should not be let into 

the secret. F went below, and practiced upon his flute 

all the afternoon. Such strains of " Wake dearest, wake," a3 
were wafted up from the cabin, would have moved the bowels 
of compassion in a satyr. 

Just after dark, Miss C , without any knowledge of 

what was going on, entered the boat which I had been sent 
with to convey her on shore. Upon landing, the commander 
took charge of her, and in a whisper, ordered me to take the 
doctor on board of the brig and leave him there. This was a 
new feature of the joke, which had not been in Walker's 
programme. The doctor had been drawing a bill upon the 
captain, so having put him on board I returned to the Liberty, 
where this new move was received with the importance due 
to it. While the purser was a skillful player upon the flute, 
his rival was no less excellent in singing. Possessing a fine 
voice and a nice ear for music, he had often, in company with 
Fischer, treated us to an entertainment of high order. Pos- 
sessed of this knowledge, we hoped to have a joke upon each, 
which should break up the folly of both the swains. 

Precisely at eight o'clock I conveyed Fischer to the boat 
of the brig, and left him, wishing him a happy time of it. 
The brig was anchored but a short distance ahead of the Liberty, 
so that every movement of the parties' could easily be conjee- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 199 

tured by those in the secret. The night was chilly, but the 
strains of the flute sounded magnificently upon the still air, and 

I felt already half sorry for poor F , whose fingers must 

have suffered some. After playing some half-dozen tunes, we 
noticed the appearance of a light at the stern windows <of the 
Durango. Again the flute sent forth its melodious strains, 
which, had the young lady been on board, would have moved 
her to pity the poor fellow, who was punishing himself so much 
for her sake. 

After an hour and a half's siege, some person from the 
tafFrail of the vessel invited the minstrel to come on board, an 
invitation which it appeared needed no repetition. Fischer 
was introduced to the cabin of the Durango, where he found, 
instead of his fair flame, his hated rival and the mate of the brig, 
indulging in a glass of hot stingo over a game of all-fours. 
Although bursting with rage, concluding that the lady was a 
party to the whole affair, a belief in which he was confirmed by 
the doctor, he agreed to give up the chase ; upon which terms 
they shook hands for the present, and resumed their old friendly 
habits of intercourse, much to the satisfaction of the doctor, 
who little knew that there was a rod in pickle for him. All 
farther proceedings might, however, have been stopped, had it 
not been for the continued unmerciful quizzing of that per- 
sonage, whose tongue never failed to commence wagging the 
moment an opportunity occurred. This annoyance towards 
his chopfallen rival finally determined Walker to carry out 
the plan originally concerted for the benefit of the now trium- 
phant disciple of Galen. The parties exhibited a tall specimen 
of polite good nature, _w ne n I re-conveyed them on board of 
the Liberty towards midnight, which continued upon the 
doctor's part just as long as the time occupied in transferring 
him from one vq^sel to the other. 

The next day the subject of retaliation was broached by 
Walker to the j)m*ser,,who being necessary to the furtherance 
of the scheme, eiitere^ into the affair with a becoming spirit. 



200 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 






The order forbidding the doctor to visit Miss C was re- 
scinded, and he was permitted to go on board — the sanction of 

Mr. C having been obtained to the part assigned to his 

daughter in the farce. The young lady had already been rein- 
stated in her old quarters, where I had given her an account of 
what had been going on, dwelling considerably upon the chilly 
situation of poor Fisher on the previous night, which, instead 
of amusing, appeared to distress her much ; but when I told 
her of the doctor's exultation, and of his annoyance to the pur- 
ser, and made her acquainted with our plan to turn the tables 
upon him, she readily consented to become a party to the joke. 

The doctor had obtained permission to give a serenade in 
earnest, and as the accompaniment of some musical instru- 
ment was indispensable, we all united with him in his request 
to Fischer to lend his assistance with his flute. For effect's sake, 
he at first demurred, but at length suffered his objections to be 
overruled, and consented to play second-fiddle to the enter- 
prise. The affair was to come off that night, and everything 

was immediately prepared for the occasion. F gloried in 

the possession of a pair of immense boots, such as are commonly 
worn by fishermen while pursuing their occupations. These 
reached to his hips, in which position the tops were held 
by small straps, depending from a belt around his waist. 
These he invariably kept so well sheathed with a preparation 
of beeswax, tallow, and rosin, that, except when exposed to 
the hot sun, they would stand alone. The idea of water pene- 
trating through them was preposterous. The possession and 
use of these appurtenances to the outer man earned for their 
proprietor the soubriquet of u Boots," which was, however, on 
account of the general esteem in which he was held, seldom 
applied. 

The time had arrived, and the parties were assembled in the 
gangway of the Liberty, while the boat's crew were hauling the 
boat alongside to convey them to their destination. " What the 
deuce have you got those boots on for?" inqyiired the doctor, 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 201 

staring at F , and bursting into a loud laugh. " Chilly work, 

this serenading till ten or eleven o'clock," replied he, "and 
then the termination," he continued in a voice which convulsed 
with laughter all within hearing : " O hang it, though, I'm no 
man to bear a grudge ; here's my band upon that." The doc- 
tor accepted the proffered grip, and we alldescended into the 
boat ; and in a few moments I saw them safely floating astern 
of the Durango, whicb had been stripped of oars, sails, and 
everything else moveable. 

The night was cloudy and dark, but very still, so that we 
could hear plainly, but not see, what was going on. In the 
course of an hour, during which time floods of music seemed 
to pour over the waters of the bay, the tide turned, which 
brought our vessel ahead of the brig. Yvithin half an hour 
after this occurrence, we all dropped silently under her bow, 
and gained the deck just as the fun commenced. The cabin 
windows, darkened, were open, the boat some forty feet astern. 
Suddenly the music stopped in the middle of a strain of the 
Scotch air, " My love is like the red, red rose," and the alarmed 
voice of the little doctor was heard : u Where the devil is all 
this water coming from, Fischer?" " From the bay, most 

probably," replied F , coolly. * ; This is some of your 

work, blast you !" muttered the doctor ; " you've pulled the 
plug out." " That's a mistake of yours, my friend," returned 

F ; u however, pull up and we will go aboard : if we stay 

here we shall surely get a ducking." Seizing the boat's 
painter, which, by the way, was carefully made fast on board 
of the vessel, the principal of the serenaders essayed to haul 
her under the stern of the brig ; but to his consternation, the 
rope yielded, and the boat commenced drifting away towards 
the head of the bay. " What shall we do ? Can't you find 
the plug, Fischer? Brig, ahoy!" yelled the doctor in one 
breath. " My God ! I can't swim — I shall be drowned ! 
Blast the girl, and myself too, for making such an ass of 
myself!" 



202 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

With such ejaculations falling from his lips, he beheld with 
dismay the rise of the water in the boat ; taking,no notice of 
Fischer, who pretended all the time to be searching for the hole 
which let the water into the boat, the plug of which lay at the 
bottom of his coat-pocket. Occasionally he would raise him- 
self and join the doctor in hailing the vessel, from which they 
were now distant the length of two lead-lines of one hundred 
fathoms each, which were fastened to the stem of the boat 
beneath the water-line. 

The water being now up to the seats, and still rising, ren- 
dered the doctor nearly frantic with fear and rage ; for the 
coolness with which Fischer took matters, convinced him that 

he was the wctim of a conspiracy to which F was a 

party. The doctor had taken possession of the middle seat of 
the boat, consequently the lowest, and the water was washing 
over it. Pie ventured to spring to the forward one, which, 
owing to the shortness of his legs and the sudden motion of 

the boat, (the result of a manoeuvre of F 's, who watched 

him,) caused him to miss his object, and soused him back into 

the water, with which the boat was now as full as F 

thought consistent with safety. Quickly inserting the plug in 
the hole in the stern, which had been bored for the purpose, 
he managed to seize his now vanquished enemy, who having 
lost all presence of mind, was in imminent danger of drowning. 
He raised him up in the boat, where the water reached above 
his waist, and he stood shivering with cold, and sick from the 
effects of the salt-water which he had swallowed. 

Considering the game nearly played out, Walker now sent 
me to their assistance with the boat. Just as we started, I ob- 
served another boat pulling toward them, which being nearer, 
reached the object of my destination first, and by the time we 
arrived had taken the doctor on board (Mr. Fischer declining 
their assistance) and pushed off. This boat was from the 
Commodore's vessel, on board of which the shouts of the 
doctor had been heard. We conveyed Fischer, now perfectly 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 203 

elated, on board of the Durango, where he received the con- 
gratulations of all hands. The commander-in-chief of the 
navy took the doctor under his protection, and he did not con- 
descend to honor us with any further notice. Through his 
means the whole story reached the ears of the Commodore, 
who was shocked at such scandalous proceedings on board of 
a national vessel ; and entertaining no good will towards our 
refractory commander, he now set himself to work in earnest 
to rid the service of an officer who openly set his authority 
at defiance. 

The time for which we had entered the service having long 
since expired, many of the men had demanded their discharge, 
which not being granted, the little authority of the officers 
over the men had grown less and less. In addition to this, the 
crew indulged in a continual course of wrangling and fighting 
among themselves. About this time, the ship's cook, for some 
dereliction of duty, fell under their displeasure, and taking the 
law into their own hands, they proceeded to inflict summary 
chastisement upon the delinquent, notwithstanding the presence 
of the commander, who was on board. The uproar attendant 
upon this demonstration brought him upon deck, when, after 
inquiring into the matter, and finding the men could not be 
appeased, he ordered the cook to be seized up to the rigging 
in true man-of-war style, and commissioned the boatswain, a 
burly old salt by the name of Baker, to give the culprit an 
earnest of the good wishes of the crew in the shape of two 
dozen lashes with a rope's end about half an inch in diameter. 

But now came the most difficult part of the business. 
Neither warrant-officers nor men were willing to see flogging 
introduced on board our vessel at this late hour. The yells 
of the poor fellows undergoing the punishment of the cat-o'- 
nine-tails on board of the Independence and Brutus, which 
were heard daily, came fresh to the recollection of the ship's 
company, and determined them to stand out against any inno- 
vation upon their already established rights. Therefore, while 



204 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



the seizing of the culprit was in progress, a few words sufficed 
to determine them that if there was any flogging to be done 
under the auspices of Capt. Brown, he must do it himself. 
According, when the boatswain was called upon to perform 
the duty which is assigned to him in sueh cases on board of 
armed vessels, that functionary stepped forward, and disengag- 
ing the silk cord by which the badge of office was suspended 
from his neck, and laying it upon the breech of a gun, peremp- 
torily refused to acknowledge the right of the commander to 
exact the performance of any such duty from him, alleging 
that he had accepted his office with the express understanding 
that there was to be no flogging on board of the vessel. The 
boatswain was a favorite with the commander, and as the latter 
apparently had a presentiment of the approaching termination 
of his naval career, he seemed to be disinclined to insist upon 
obedience ; so directing Baker to resume his badge, he selected 
one of the crew, an old man-of-war's man, to perform the un- 
pleasant duty. This man refused, on the ground that it was 
no part of his duty, in the first place ; and in the second place, 
that his time having expired, he was detained on board against 
his will, which example was followed by all the others. 

The commander was by this time in a fury, and swearing 
that the man should be flogged, he called me, as a last resource. 
Whether or not the men were fearful I would obey the order, 
there was no mistaking the threatening looks they bestowed on 
me, or their exultation at my following their example, which 
capped the climax of the captain's fury. I was the only one 
who had to suffer for the disobedience of the whole crew. 
The gunner was ordered to bring a pair of handcuffs, which 
being done, he again repeated his order to me. I refused, and 
the next moment I was ironed and transferred to the sail-room 
in the forecastle ; while the commander proceeded to the un- 
dignified execution of his own order, by bestowing two dozen 
upon the offending cook. Shortly after, I received a call from 
the captain, who, seeing me comfortably situated, informed me 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 205 

he would keep me there a week, and then left me to my own 
reflections. 

Contrary to my expectations, I was released early in the 
afternoon, and ordered to proceed to Point Bolivar with a boat, 
and procure wood for the vessel. I determined to retu:n no 
more on board, and accordingly made arrangements for a cruise 
on shore, which being accomplished without exciting suspicion, 
I bid good-bye to the Liberty for the last time. 

When I returned to Galveston she had been discharged 
from the service, and her commander was no longer recognized 
as an officer of the navy. There were many charges pre- 
ferred against Capt. Brown, the most prominent of which (I 
know not with how much truth) was, that we had sailed upon 
our previous cruise on the Mexican coast without orders, or 
even a commission — certainly a very grave oitense ; which, 
taken in connection with our proceedings at Sisal in regard to 
the schooner Sabine, rendered the character of our vessel 
equivocal, to say the least ; and had we been captured by the 
American ships of war, our situation would have been anything 
but pleasant. 

An hour's pull against the strong tide setting into the bay 
landed us at the point, where I at once made known my deter- 
mination to the boat's crew, and left it to their own choice 
whether they would follow me, or pursue the errand on which 
they had come and return to the schooner. Only one joined 
me, and bidding the rest good-bye, my companion and I took 
up our line of march along the beach, without much caring 
which way we wended our steps. 



206 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

CHAPTER XX. 

Parr's ranch — The rheumatic sailor — Set out for the Fire Islands — Texan 
prairies and islands of timber — Arrive at the ranch— Ready for a 
start — Offer to accompany the proprietor— Offer accepted— Part com- 
pany with my companion — A midnight expedition — Prairie wolves — 
The camp on the beach — Embarked— Dr. Richardson's — A Texan 
planter's breakfast — New-Washington — Lynchburg — Harrisburg — 
Batterson's — Arrive in camp— General Houston — The army — Rusk — 
Lamar — The Napoleon of the South — Destitution of the troops— Burn- 
ing of Harrisburg— The march to San Jacinto. 

Pushing along in high spirits until the sun began to get well 
down in the west, we mounted the sand-hills, and found our- 
selves opposite a ranch which stood about half a mile from 
the beach upon the prairie, towards which we shifted our 
course. On reaching it, we found its only tenant to be a 
rheumatic old sailor, a pensioner on the bounty of its former 
inhabitants, who had volunteered to remain in charge of 
the property white the proprietor sought safety during the 
troubled state of the country beyond the Sabine river — the line 
which separates Texas from the United States. This proprie- 
tor was no other than the Mr. Parr I have before noticed, 
who, immediately upon being released from his imprisonment 
on board of our vessel, had moved out of the reach of either 
friend or foe, leaving our n^w entertainer in charge. 

The house was mereljr a shanty upon a large scale, built of 
rough boards, though the frame had evidently been got out by 
some one skilled in carpentry ; and appeared dingy enough 
upon reaching it, though at a distance it had presented quite a 
respectable appearance. The interior of the house was in strict 
accordance with its exterior ; and the posts, sturMing, and 
rafters, blackened by smoke, were exposed to view. A bed- 
stead formed of posts set in the earthen floor, upon which were 
fastened poles parallel to each other, across which were slats 
covered with a quantity of dry corn-husks, spread with a large 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 207 

dry hide and a couple of warm blankets, presented abed which 
was not to be despised by a tired man. 

Our host, who welcomed us heartily and offered us the best 
accommodations in his power, was at this time suffering acutely 
from his malady, and we were therefore obliged to commence 
the duties of housekeeping on our own account. Therefore, 
while my companion prepared to display his skill in converting 
sundry ears of flint corn into a loaf of bread, I selected a 
musket from a number which stood in one corner of the house; 
and being furnished with the necessary ammunition by our host, 
I bent my steps toward a small herd of cattle which were 
grazing at no great distance from the house. To get within 
gun-shot of these animals I was obliged to exercise all my 
ingenuity, on account of their extreme wildness ; but at length* 
succeeding, I had the good fortune to bring down a fine fat 
yearling heifer, from which I loaded myself with as much 
meat as would answer our present purposes, and returned to 
the house without troubling myself about the remainder, which 
served to regale a herd of wolves, who made the night hideous 
with their yelping and barking. 

In the morning we bid farewell to our kind entertainer, and 
started for the Fire Islands, some twelve miles distant, where 
we were told there was another ranch. As Jack Scott, our 
late worthy entertainer, had informed us that the muskets 
before-mentioned were government property, we improved the 
opportunity by selecting each a musket and bayonet for our 
defense, in case we were obliged to camp out at night. Having 
taken care to provide some refreshments for our journey, we 
did not over-exert ourselves in walking, consequently it was 
long after park before we reached the place of our destination. 
The Fire Islands, so called, we found were a couple of spots in 
the surrounding prairie elevated some forty or fifty feet above 
the level of the plain, heavily wooded, and at a distance bear- 
ing a close resemblance to green islands in a lake. The most 
of the beautiful prairies of Texas are dotted with similar lovely 



203 wild oats sowings. 

spots, serving to make the landscapes agreeable, that would 
otherwise be monotonous in the extreme. 

On reaching the ranch we were received by the proprietor 
in the most friendly manner, who proffered the hospitalities of 
his home during such time as we wished to remain ; adding 
that we would be obliged to depend upon his family for our 
entertainment, as he was about starting for Lynchburg, at the 
mouth of Eufralo bayou. The goods and chattels of his house- 
hold were for the most part packed up, to be transferred to a 
number of wagons which were kept in readiness for use at a 
moment's warning. The removal of these, together with his 
f milv, consisting of two women and four or five little ones, he 
had confided to a couple of trusty slaves, themselves the fathers 
of a small host of woolly-heads, who were peeping from every 
corner to see the new comers. Finding the settler's destination 
was the army, I proposed to accompany him, which he at 
once agreed to, offering to provide me with a horse, etc. I 
now endeavored to get my companion Williams to join us, but 
to no purpose ; he was determined to go nowhere but to the 
United States. There was now nothing farther to do but to 
provide some refreshments before starting on our journey ; 
which having done, w r e took leave of the family, and mounting 
our horses, my new acquaintance taking the lead, we galloped 
off, taking a south-west direction, so as to strike the part of 
Galveston Bay at its intersection by Red-fish bar, some eighteen 
or twenty miles from the island of Galveston. 

Nothing disturbed our midnight march save the howling 
of the wolves, who, startled from their propriety, made the 
welkin ring as they hurried away at our approach. These 
animals are small, not exceeding a large dog in size, though 
somewhat longer in the body, and are of a dirty brownish color. 
In all cases where I encountered them, they proved them- 
selves cowardly ; but my conductor told me that when hungry 
they were formidable antagonists. At the time of which I 
write they roamed the prairies in herds of thousands, judging 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 20£ 

from the uproar they made. They are very troublesome to the 
settlements, especially in winter, when they steal whatever is 
within their reach in the shape of provisions. 

About three o'clock in the morning we reached the shore 
of the bay, where we found a large camp-fire brightly burning 
on the sand, by the side of which were stretched the forms of 
three men, two of them negroes, and all buried in profound 
slumber. Floating on the water at a short distance was a fine 
large whale-boat, with its masts and sails disposed for instant 
use. As we approached, the voice of my companion aroused 
them from their sleep. " Hallo, Sykes! Hallo, boys! come, 
rouse up, rouse up : it's time to be off — we've no time to lose." 
The darkies, springing to their feet, soon stripped our hurses 
of their furniture, which, after being hobbled, were suffered to 
run at large. 

We were soon under sail for the head of the bay, where 
we landed at the plantation of a Dr, Richardson, where we 
breakfasted*. We were received with the uniform kindness 
and hospitality which generally prevailed among the settlers, 
and in a short time a bountiful supply of edibles smoked 
upon the board, of which we were invited to partake. To me 
this meal was a curiosity, in which light it certainly would be 
regarded by northerners. Of meats there were at least a dozen 
dishes, including bear's-meat and venison, besides chicken, 
turkies, and ducks, with cat-fish from the river, and red-fish 
from the bay, and sundry dishes of hominy and rice, flanked 
by immense piles of corn-cakes and wheaten biscuits, honey, etc. 
The only thing I missed from the table was butter, the want 
of which was not felt in the present instance. Of chinks there 
was coffee and tea. Liquors were not produced at the table, 
but we had all indulged in a "smile" before being introduced 
to the breakfast-room. The house, which was one story, was 
surrounded by a verandah, the front commanding a splendid 
view of the bay for twenty or thirty miles. Surrounding 
the house was a noble orchard of peach and fig trees, the 

18* 



210 WIJLD OATS SOWINGS. 

staple fruits of the country. Judging from appearances, the 
doctor was possessed of a numerous force of field-hands, some 
new sable-visaged personage continually passing in review 
before us. 

About nine o'clock, bidding farewell to our hospitable enter- 
tainer, we once more started on our journey, or rather voyage, 
and with a fair wind we made rapid progress toward the 
mouth of San Jacinto river, whose strong current w^e soon 
found ourselves breasting. The boatman Sykes pointed out to 
me New* Washington, the settlement of Col. Morgan, which, 
as far as I could see, comprised the house of that personage. 
About noon we came in sight of Lynchburg, of which place, 
from its frequent mention, I had formed a high opinion. In 
this I was greatly disappointed, finding nothing but one house 
and a saw-mill on the eastern side, and the wrecks of one or 
two old steamboats on the other. At this place we landed, 
and the boat left us. 

We now shouldered our horse-furniture, and striking what 
my companion called a bee-line, we arrived at a farm-house 
on the left bank of Buffalo bayou, about five in the afternoon. 
Here we found no one to receive us, the proprietor and his 
family having taken the " Sabine shoot," as the running away 
of the settlers was facetiously called. There remained enough 
in the house, however, to enable us t<3 make ourselves comfort- 
able, so we concluded to remain for the night. In the mean- 
time my companion advised that we should provide something 
for our march the next day, which we did by filling a small bag 
with jerked beef, after roasting it. 

The morning found us early on our way, and we reached 
the town of Harrisburg about eleven a. m. This, the most 
populous place I had seen the country, was almost deserted, 
a few persons still remaining at the house of a Mrs. Harris, 
where we were hospitably received. Everything foretold that 
the enemy were at no great distance ; and as the few people 
remaining in the place were about to leave, we took possession 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 211 

of an old pirogue, and continued on toward the place where we 
were directed to look for the army. We made good headway 
in this sort of navigation, and toward the middle of the after- 
noon reached a clearing made by a Mr. Battcrson. Here we 
remained for the night, camping in the woods as a measure 
of precaution. 

Before quitting this place the next day, we hauled the 
pirogue into the bush, where she was hidden from any obser- 
vation, and continued our quest on foot. Keeping along the 
edge of the timber, we reached the camp of Gen.. Houston 
about twelve o'clock, where we were warmly welcomed by all 
with whom we came in contact. My companion, who was very 
well acquainted with the General, gave me an introduction, 
and I had the honor of shaking hands with that illustrious per- 
sonage, who requested us to attach ourselves to some corps, so 
as to enable him to know wdiere we were. My fellow-traveler 
joined Capt. Graham's company for the time, and my inclination 
leading that way, I attached myself to the artillery as a volunteer. 
This part of the army was composed, including details from 
other companies, of about sixty men. These had under their 
charge two light iron field-pieces, (four-pounders,) the gift, it 
w r as said, of the citizens of Cincinnati. Judging from the 
nature of the shot, — old scrap-iron, pieces of spikes, with a 
large admixture of musket and rifle balls, etc., — they w r ere 
calculated at a short range to do great execution. This part 
of the force was under the command of Colonels Neal and 
Hockley. The riflemen, judging from their appearance, were 
men who could perform against any enemy to the satisfaction 
of all parties interested. Their arms, among which might be 
found every variety of that deadly weapon, were in perfect 
order. They numbered near two hundred. The cavalry were 
very limited in number — some sixty -five or seventy rough- 
looking fellows, who sat their horses with a sort of jaunty 
nonchalance which defied all discipline. The infantry were 
a heterogenous mass of all nations upon earth, and I had 



212 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

almost said of all colors. Among them was a company of 
about thirty Mexicans. At the head of this part of the army, 
the skeleton of a regiment called the First Regulars, under Col. 
Burleson, presented a very soldier-like appearance ; and the 
whole, although their equipments looked rather musty, and 
their clothing worse, bore the aspect of a body of men whose 
introduction to any field of combat would frighten, even if they 
could not whip, an equal number of any troops in the world. 

But few of the members of the Provisional Government 
honored the army with their presence. Of these, however, 
the coimtenance and activity of the Secretary of War (Rusk) 
and the dashing Lamar, who assumed the command of the 
cavalry corps, served to reassure the men, whose hopes of suc- 
cess were almost annihilated. All who were there had de- 
termined, like desperate gamblers, upon staking their last and 
all upon a single cast of the die, for the recovery of their 
waning honors. 

This was the darkest hour Texas ever saw. Her army 
of twelve hundred men upon the Colorado had been forced 
to fall back, first to the Brazos, and thence to the Buffalo 
bayon, before the approach of upward of seven thousand men,- 
who were advancing from three different points ; and now the 
narrow strip between the latter stream and the Sabine was 
all that remained for the victorious Mexicans to wrest from 
the northern barbarians, when the republic of Texas would 
be at an end, and the Napoleon of the south could pursue his 
boasted intention of planting the Mexican eagle upon the 
American capitol. Anxious to secure to himself the honor of 
quashing the revolution, the arrogant Mexican pressed forward 
to the fatal field of San Jacinto, surrounded by his choicest 
battalions, and scouting all idea of danger — the day being 
already appointed when he should receive the congratulations 
of his sycophants at the capital. 

But I will not anticipate. It was lucky for us that we 
had provided for our present sustenance, as we found the army 



/ 

WILD OATS SOWINGS. 213 

totally destitute of the means of subsistence. My late travel- 
ing companion divided our stock of jerked meat with me when 
we separated, and by his advice I husbanded it with great 
care. We were encamped on one of the forks of the bayou ; 
and the weather being damp and foggy, we were in a very 
wet and uncomfortable condition, especially during the morn- 
ing. At night the want of blankets made my situation very 
disagreeable. But I was not alone: the shelter of each tree 
had its tenants, upon whose heads every sough of the wind 
would deluge us with a shower of water from the canopy 
above, where it had gathered from the heavy fogs. 

The notice of the approach of the Mexicans was received 
on the 18th, and every preparation was made to give him a 
suitable reception in case he should attempt to cross the 
stream. Presently, however, the information was given that, 
they had altered their course down the bayou. As soon as 
this was ascertained, the order was given to fall in, and in a 
short time the whole force was in motion toward Lynchburg. 
In this march we experienced much difficulty in getting along 
with our artillery and baggage, on account of the softness of 
the soil, which was saturated with the spring rains. At those 
times when the wheels of the wagons mired, which they did 
continually, none were more willing to clap their shoulders to 
the spokes than old Sam himself; and his, "Come, boys, let's 
help the poor creatures," passed into a by-word among the 
men. 

With such marching it may readily be supposed that our 
progress was slow ; but such was not the case : no farther 
delay was permitted than would suffice to extricate the vehi- 
cles. Towards noon we encountered the smoke occasioned by 
the burning of the town of Harrisburg, fired by order of Santa 
Anna, and continued our march some fourteen or fifteen miles 
below, where we crossed the bayou by means of a large flat, 
and found ourselves upon the same side with the enemy. Our 
course was now through the edge of the timber ; and after 



\ 

21*4 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

struggling on a short distance farther, we encamped. The 
next day we moved to the point formed by a small bayou which 
debouches into the mouth of Buffalo bayou, called, I think, 
Simm's bayou. This stream was bridged about a mile and a 
half from the post we now occupied. Moving, to the front of 
the timber, we encamped within plain sight of the Mexican 
camp on one side, and the Lynchburg ferry and ship-yard on 
the other. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

The Mexicans wake up — The skirmish — Col. Sherman — Col. Neal — 
Forming the line of battle — Sensations — Our artillery — Its effect — 
The battle-cry — The slaughter and victory — A dilemma — A gymnastic 
feat — I'm laid out — The marquee — Sykes, the boatman — Return to 
Galveston— The Liberty — Volunteers— The duel— Death of Stanley — 
The cemetery — The fugitives return to their homes — Interview with 
Com. Hawkins — Adjutant Hunter — Diversions — Narrow escape from 
a disagreeable cruise — Materials for a larder. 

Simm's creek, or bayou, was one of those gullies formed by 
the drainage of the land, and at the time of the spring rains 
it is deep and rapid. The water in it was at this time quite 
high. By the road through the edge of the prairie, and the 
bridge across the bayou, the Mexicans had gained their present 
position. Our camp faced obliquely that of the enemy, who 
as yet had no idea of our presence. This day we had been 
without any provisions ; but after having got quietly settled 
in our camp, the sight of a number of beeves grazing at a 
short distance was too strong a temptation for our men to 
resist. Application was made by the men, and permission 
given by Gen. Houston, to endeavor to make rations of the 
animals, and in a short time the prairie was dotted with the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 215 

exciting chase, and the sharp ring of the muskets was heard 
in every direction, added to which, was the firing in the camp. 

, Our march the two previous days had been wet and uncom- 
fortable, and the charges in the muskets of the men were wet 
and useless. To remedy this, orders were issued to discharge 
their firearms, and clean them previous to reloading. In 
obedience to these orders the muskets were discharged ; but 
for the gratification of some whim, many of the men loaded 
and fired their pieces a half dozen times, and the din of small 
arms was kept up for half an hour, and probably led the 
Mexicans to come much nearer the truth as to how many 
men there were in our camp than they would have done, and 
thereby prevented an earlier attack with the force he had 

"with him before Cos joined. 

This was the first intimation the enemy had of our prox- 
imity; and supposing, as it appeared, that we were some party 
of Texan militia, Santa Anna ordered his cavalry to charge 
the wood and drive us from our hiding-place, at the same time 
opening a furious cannonade upon that part of the prairie 
where our men were engaged in pursuit of the beeves. The 
Mexican cavalry were handsomely met and driven back by our 
horsemen, under Col. M. B. Lamar, who hurried them up until 
they took refuge in the rear of a body of infantry, which had 
advanced to cover their retreat. These, on the appearance of 
a part of our infantry force, withdrew within their lines, and 
the Mexican General contented himself with keeping up a con- 
tinual cannonade upon the woods in which we were encamped, 
which resulted in nothing more serious than the infliction of a 
terrible scourging upon the trees under which we safely reposed. 
In this situation all were kept in constant readiness to repel 
any attack which might be made, but the night passed without 
any farther alarm. 

The 20th was a day of expectation, without any important 
results. A movement made by Col. Sherman, evidently to 
precipitate a battle, was defeated by the commander-in-chief. 



216 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

CoL Neal was wounded by a grape-shot. Had we attacked the 
enemy during the forenoon of this day, we should have gained 
an easy victory, as the enemy's infantry had taken their arms 
to pieces for the purpose of cleaning them. The enemy kept 
up his cannonade at intervals during the day, and every prepa- 
ration was made to guard against surprise during the ensuing 
night, the whole force reposing on their arms. 

Everything remained quiet during the night, and the morn- 
ing of the 21st dawned upon us — the day that was to consum- 
mate the independence of Texas. During the night the bridge 
across the bayou had been cut away by a few of the scouts 
belonging to the army, by order of Gen. Houston. Not, how- 
ever, until Santa Anna had received a reinforcement which 
increased his force to almost thrice our number ; and thus 
matters remained until between three and four o'clock, when 
the order was given to parade without delay. In a moment 
every man was in motion. The various companies fell into 
line, and presently, emerging from the wood, directed our 
march to the camp of the enemy, from whom we were partially 
concealed by an intervening grove of timber. Making our 
way through the woods, our column deployed in line of battle 
in front of the hostile camp. The enemy, who seemed to have 
been*lulled to security by our previous inaction, now appeared 
as if determined to make up for their apathy. Upon the 
instant of our advance the clang of their trumpets and rattling 
of their drums fell with startling effect on my ears ; for this 
being my first battle-field, I am free to confess I did not display 
the coolness of a veteran. I experienced a depression of spirits, 
almosX amounting to dread, from which I did not recover until 
the first discharge of our pieces restored me to a sense of the 
duty I was called upon to perform. This excitement soon left 
me, and I saw the line was complete, and the next instant the 
order was given for the whole to advance. 

The details of this battle have become matter of history, 
and therefore I shall confine myself to what fell under my own 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 217 

observation. Our artillery occupied a a gentle rise of ground, 
which enabled us to pour a murderous fire upon the enemy, 
who had already opened on us with both their artillery and 
musketry. Our line, however, continued to advance without 
firing a musket. It was almost wonderful to see the admirable 
precision with which the ragamuffins maintained their ranks 
during their advance upon the enemy. Old Sam had declared 
that he could never get his men into a straight line, before he 
formed them that afternoon. Meanwhile, our little four- 
pounders vomited forth showers of destructive missiles, carry- 
ing havoc and death through the ranks of the enemy. 
Previous to leaving our encampment, at the end of a short 
address in which General Houston declared his intention of 
fighting the enemy, tlie battle-cry of " Remember the Alamo !" 
had been given to the troops. But to return. When within 
seventy yards of the enemy the line was ordered to halt and 
fire, and immediately after, to fire at discretion. The effect of 
this fusilade was terrible. The Mexicans fell like grass before 
the scythe of the mower, while tneir answering fire was com- 
paratively harmless, their balls whistling over our heads in 
showers. 

While tliis fusilade was In progress, our guns were brought 
into line, and the infantry with leveled bayonets rushed for- 
ward upon the enemy. The charge resembled the onset of a 
host of demons, rather than that of men. They precipitated 
themselves upon the appalled Mexicans with yells and shouts, 
like so many tigers, and above all might be heard the hoarse bat- 
tle-cries, " Remember the Alamo! Labadie! Goliad! Crocket! 
Travis ! Fannin !" while in many cases the Indian war-whoop 
was attempted with brilliant success. Before this unearthly 
uproar, the panic-stricken Mexicans melted away like icicles 
in a hot sun. The flank of the* Mexican line broke and fled 
at the commencement of the charge, while their centre made 
a brief stand, their position being supported in the centre by a 
small breastwork formed of bags of sand. Behind this was 

19 



218 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

planted their artillery, a fine brass nine-pounder, which, at the 
instant of its capture, was loaded to the muzzle, and was by 
our men turned upon the Guerreras, who still made a show 
of resistance. 

This decided the day in our favor. The enemy were now 
scattered and flying in every direction. But still the work of 
retribution went on, and amid the groans of the wounded and 
dying, which were enough to appal the stoutest heart ; the 
fierce battle-cry still rang forth, and the unerring rifle and bayo- 
net continued to swell the number of the slain. Every effort 
was made by Houston to stay the horrid work, but in vain ; 
until the men, satiated with carnage, and meeting no farther re- 
sistance, ceased the work of death and returned to their ranks. 
The whole affair had been brief, occupying but half an hour ; 
but in this short space of time nearly seven hundred of the 
enemy bit the dust, and a larger number of prisoners, with 
their whole camp baggage, and military chest containing a large 
amount of money, fell into our possession. 

Armed with my old musket and bayonet, and acting as one 
of the covering party to the artillery, I had fired seven rounds 
from my musket and had driven home the eighth charge, 
when I found, to my great perplexity, that I could not with- 
draw the ramrod from the barrel of the piece. I essayed a 
score of times to extricate it, but in vain 5 and bringing my 
firelock to the shoulder, I moved on with the others, and got 
along very well, considering the circumstances, until the 
enemy's line was broken, an event which was quickly followed 
by the greater part of our own in pursuit. I started with the 
rest, and so closely did we hurry them along, that a party of 
about a dozen of the enemy, despairing of escape, turned upon 
us, and bringing their Tbayonets to the charge, advanced a 
couple of paces ; but their courage again forsook them, and 
as we were about to slacken our pace to fire, they, with three 
exceptions, threw down their arms and fled. The three still 
continuing to advance, those of my companions whose guns 



WILD OATS 80WINGS. 219 

were loaded raised their pieces to their shoulders. Without 
thinking of my unlucky ramrod, I did the same and fired. I 
did not stop to witness the effect of my discharge. It was 
enough for me that I saw my trusty old musket describing 
through the air the course of a shell just projected from a mor- 
tar, while I indulged in an involuntary exhibition of ground 
tmd lofty tumbling, ending with a descent in the midst of a 
heap of dead Mexicans. 

Being rather more frightened than hurt, I onee more got 
upon my feet ; and finding that the extent of my wounds was 
merely a lame shoulder, I determined to make a demonstration 
upon the enemy's eamp. A large marquee close hy me ap- 
appcared to invite my attention, and upon entering it, the first 
object that met my gaze was an ofticarin the uniform of a colonel, 
stretched upon an iron camp bedstead. Me was dead, but not 
yet cold. The appearance of things gave evidence that he 
had anticipated a more pleasant occupation than he had met 
with, it was apparent that the Mexicans when attacked were 
just preparing their evening meals,, the tables for supper being 
left ready spread for the accommodation of the victors. 
Considering nryse-lf an irregular, and wounded at that, I did 
not take the trouble to return to camp until nightfall, by which 
time the prisoners were all gathered in, a portion of whom had 
to be driven from the grass by setting it on fire. 

I had now no farther wish to remain with the army, and 
anxiously awaited some means of leaving the camp. I had 
armed myself from the -spoils of the enemy, and therefore did not 
return to the quarters of the artillery, but bunked in with a 
number of Turner's infantry. The day after the battle I lay 
quiet in my new quarters, and my shoulder being very lame 
and much inflamed, I bathed it frequently with cold water. 
On the morning of the 23d, taking a stroll to the old steam- 
boat-yard opposite Lynchburg, I encountered the boatman 
Sykes. This was the very thing I wished, and I bargained 
with him to be taken to Galveston, for which place we started 



220 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

that night. We went a considerable distance out of our way, 
for the purpose of landing a man and two women at Anahuac, 
at the mouth of the Trinity, which, together with light winds, 
prevented our getting to Galveston until the morning of the 
26th. The steamboat Yellowstone, with a portion of the 
Mexican prisoners, together with Capt. Turner's company of 
regulars and Graham's volunteers, had already arrived. I now 
found that during my absence my old commander had been 
deprived of his rank in the service, and the Liberty was virtually 
put out of commission, never having been regarded as a national 
vessel after the expulsion of the captain. The majority of the 
crew, whose time of service had expired, remained on board 
until she sailed for New-Orleans, where she was sold out of 
the service. 

The eastern end of Galveston island at this time presented 
a strong contrast to its appearance on my first visit to its shores. 
All was bustle and life, where formerly nothing but a dreary 
solitude had met the eye. The point was now r whitened with 
the tents of the troops, whose numbers were daily augmented. 
Among the new accessions to the military force of the country 
at this time, were a company of riflemen called the Buckeye 
Rangers, from Ohio, and Bohmline's artillery, from Philadel- 
phia. A cavalry company was also being formed under the 
command of Capt. Stanly, who, unfortunately for the project, 
was killed in a duel a short time after. The particulars of this 
unhappy affair, of which I was partly a witness, were these: 
The beef for the supply of the post was procured from the 
north-eastern side of the bay, or Point Bolivar, and on 
delivery, was conveyed to a shamble erected near the Commis- 
sary's quarters, where it was cut up and distributed to the 
various companies. The fatal quarrel originated upon a 
question of precedence. Capt. Stanly, as an officer of cavalry, 
(usually accounted a superior arm of the military,) claimed the 
right of receiving the first award from the Commissary, a right 
likewise claimed by Capt, G , on the grounds of having 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 221 

been longer in the service, and of participating in the late 
actual struggle in support of the independence of the country. 
Neither of the party being willing to concede the point, high 
words followed, and the lie was given by Stanly, when, to 
prevent their coming to blows, they were temporarily separated, 
and so far pacified as to restore quiet, and the quarrel was 
supposed to be ended. Unfortunately this was not the case ; 
and it was not known that a challenge had been given and 
accepted, until it was too late to stay farther proceedings in 
the matter. They met the next morning on the outer beach 
of the island, about four miles from the post, where they 
exchanged shots at twelve paces without effect; this failing to 
bring about an accommodation, Graham fired, his ball striking 
his antagonist just over the right eyebrow, whose pistol w r as 
discharged in the air as he fell. Thus ended this tragical affair, 
which deprived the service of an excellent officer, and the 
whole of us of an esteemed comrade. He was immediately 
brought to the camp, and every effort made to save his life, 
but in vain ; and at half-past four in the afternoon he breathed 
his last. The next day we buried him with military honors, 
on the ridge of the point upon which the encampment was 
situated, which plac3 became the cemetery of the post. • There. 
too, were deposited the remains of the gallant Lieut. Lamb, 
who was wounded in the battle of San Jacinto, and lost his 
life through the agency of one of the infernal copper shot used 
by the enemy. Side by side with their conquerors lie a number 
of the Mexican prisoners, who died of their wounds, and here 
repose upon equal terms in the embrace of the inevitable and 
final conqueror, death. The great gale of the fall of 1837 drove 
the waters of the gulf with such force over this point of the 
island, as to completely change its features and obliterate every 
trace of the camp burying-ground ; together with the immense 
heaps of mud and clay, which the Mexican prisoners were 
employed in throwing up, and which were dignified by the 
title of the Fort. 

19* 



222 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The post was at this time under the command of Col. 
Morgan, who likewise officiated as a civil magistrate. Besides 
the garrison, there was a large number of families, who, as 
soon as the news of the retreat of the remainder of the Mexi- 
can army to the Eio Grande reached the island, began to 
return to their homes. Among these were many of my ac- 
quaintances, with whom I was very loth to part, and above 
all, I was obliged to decline the kind invitation I received from 

my friends the C 's, who wished me to accompany them 

to their home upon the Colorado and become a member of 
their family. We parted with mutual expressions of regret, 
but not until they had exacted a promise that I should visit 
them as soon as possible, which I was unfortunately never able 
to fulfill. 

The place was soon deserted by all but the garrison, which 
in its turn was reduced to two companies — one of regulars 
and one of volunteer artillery, and the routine of military life 
began to grow insipid. The great question with me now 
was, whether I should still remain in the service. I had but 
little inclination to serve under Com. Hawkins or Capt. Hurd, 
and therefore I returned to Lynch's and was accepted for ser- 
vice, and received permission to attach myself to the Invinci- 
ble. As that vessel was not in port, I returned to Galveston 
by the steamer, and reported myself for duty to Com. Hawkins 
on board of the Independence. The Commodore questioned me 
pretty sharply as to the course I had pursued since leaving the 
Liberty, and advised me to remain on board until he could re- 
ceive instructions from Mr. Fisher, the Secretary of the Navy, 
in what capacity to employ me. Not liking this arrangement, 
and knowing that he entertained no good will towards the re- 
fractory crew of the Liberty, from whom he had failed to pro- 
cure a single volunteer, I left the vessel without any opposition, 
and took up my quarters with the adjutant of the port, Mr. 
Hunter, who kindly gave me an invitation to that effect. My 
means of living had happily kept pace with the opportunities I 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 223 

enjoyed of adding to them ; and any one able to supply the 
necessary funds for the procurement of the w ardent " was a 
welcome visitor at Galveston. 

I passed some two months very pleasantly in hunting and 
fishing, and always found a large supply of old Monongahela 
at the ferry-house, situated at the west end of the island. At 
home, the usual amusement was cards, which most commonly 
ended in a drunken revel. This occurring at night, of course 
the knowledge never came to the ears of the commandant. 
The fishing around the shores of the island was glorious. 
Mullet swarmed upon the shoals in countless millions ; and 
with the assistance of a cast-net we frequently caught half a 
bushel at a throw. Angling for red-fish was likewise a favor- 
ite amusement, and nearly cost me my life at one time, the 
circumstances of which I will here relate, first giving the reader 
an idea of the modus operandi usually observed : First, a 
line is procured varying, at the pleasure of the sportsman, 
from thirty to forty fathoms in length, to which is attached a 
single hook, somewhat stouter than the larger size of cod- 
hooks. A noose at the end of this line is then slipped over 
the hand, and a fresh mullet of suitable size being impaled on 
the barbed instrument, the operator usually wades into the 
water, if the shores are flat, until, as at our best fishing- 
ground, the water reached to the middle of the thigh, when 
the line was cast as far in . advance as the skill of the sports- 
man could throw it ; and it was seldom the case that more 
than five minutes elapsed before a victim was hooked, when 
all the fisherman had to do was to turn and make his way to the 
shore, dragging his prize after him. The best season for this 
sport is from the middle of spring to that of the fall. Eut to 
my story. Arming myself with line, bait, etc., I proceeded to 
the cuter and most eastern point of the island — a place, by 
the way, I had never visited before, and which, from its 
sandy appearance, I concluded might afford good sport. Hav- 
ing reached the spot, I found, to my great disappointment, 



I 
224 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

that the p^ce was unfit for fishing, as at the distance of forty 
feet from the shore there was very deep water. However, 
determined to try my luck, I waded in to the depth of my 
knees, and threw out my line. I had not long to wait. Some- 
thing of a dead, heavy weight seemed to have taken hold of 
the hook, and thinking all right, from its partial yielding to 
my pull, which enabled me to reach the water-mark of the 
shore, I began to anticipate a prize ; but at this point the object 
stopped suddenly and commenced to draw slowly off again. 
Wondering what it could be, I continued to give it line, of 
which I had considerable slack in my hand, occasionally gently 
trying to check its farther escape from me, which I found could 
not be done. I had but one coil left upon my wrist, when I 
recollected that I was already nearly to my waist in the water, 
and that I could not swim, and the line was fast to my wrist 
by a slipnoose which was drawn tight already. I got my knife 
in my hand in an instant, and it was none too soon. The strain 
drew the line tighter and tighter. I was up to my armpits, and 
it would not do to go farther. I cut the line, and the next 
instant an enormous porpoise rose to the surface at about the 
length of my line from me, and turning flukes, he disappeared, 
carrying my fishing apparatus with him. I was so astonished 
that I could not make out, as his ugly length passed in review 
before me, whether he had my hook in his mouth, or whether, 
as was probably the case, it had caught in some part of his 
shining black carcass. These fish, the shape of whose nose is 
like that of a hog, are known to resemble that animal in their 
great propensity for rooting, in which way they principally 
gather their subsistence from the worms which abound in the 
sand and mud at the bottom of the sea. The individual who 
had so recently endeavored to introduce me to the mysteries 
of the Gulf, was probably engaged in the agreeable occupation 
of procuring his breakfast, when he either swallowed my bait, 
or got it hooked into his covering of fat or blubber, (another 
peculiarity in which they resemble the porker,) and thus eifec- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 225 

tu ally turned the tables upon me. I need hardly say I did not 
venture upon this dangerous fishing-ground again. 

While the season lasted, our table was bountifully supplied. 
Oysters, with which the bay and the bayous of the island 
abounded, were a common luxury ; shrimp of a large size and 
excel! out flavor were drawn from the waters of the Gulf by the 
large seine belonging to the garrison, accompanied by great 
numbers of speckled trout and large crabs. Beef, bacon, and 
venison, with snipe and curlew, afforded a bill of fare which 
might appease the appetite of an epicure. As the season wore 
on, and the cooler weather* — the season of northers — set in, 
the various lagoons, bayous, and parts of the bay, literally 
swarmed with geese, ducks, and the beautiful swan, which 
winter upon these shores, insuring rare sport and a loaded 
table to those who were not too indolent to avail themselves 
of the opportunity to replenish their larders. Nothing suited 
me better, and the most of my time, for some three months, 
were devoted to these occupations. 



CHAPTEE XXII. 



A change — Ordered to the Brutus — The cat-o'-nine tails — Capture of the 
Independence — A queer search for the enemy — Eesults of the cruise 
— Furlough — Fail in joining the Invincible — Disbanding the forces — 
The new commandant — The revolt in the garrison — All hands drunk — 
The court-martial and verdict — Compromise — Houston — Its aspect — 
President Houston's reply to the mutineers — Fever and ague — The 
Goose and Gridiron — Government scrip — Proceed to New-Orleans — 
Dispose of my scrip — Travels in England — Jack Booz and the coun- 
try justice — Price of turnips — Turnpike gentry — London — Return to 
New-York — Again turn southward. 

At length the order came which was to break up this round 
of amusement, and give me a chance to earn the rations of the 
Government, upon which I had to a small extent been drawing. 



226 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

This order directed me to resort for duty on board of the 
Brutus, then lying in port. Although not well pleased with 
the arrangement, I obeyed, and soon found the rigid discipline 
of a man-of-war a different affair than I had anticipated. The 
free use of the cat at first disgusted and shocked me ; but this 
wore off at last, and as our time was mostly occupied in run- 
ning from one harbor to another, the summer and fall passed 
away almost without notice. About this time we sustained 
the loss of the schooner Independence, formerly the flag-ship 
of Com. Hawkins, who, I had forgotten to mention, died in 
July of this year. This vessel, which was a very dull sailer, 
had left New-Orleans for the Brazos, having on board Wm. A. 
Wharton, Commissioner of the Texan Government to the Gov- 
ernment of the United States. Capt. Wheelwright, whom I 
have formerly mentioned in connection with the Liberty, had 
assumed the command of the vessel upon the decease of the 
commander in chief, and, under instructions from the Com- 
missioner, had proceeded on the voyage. Unfortunately for 
them, they encountered two Mexican men-of-war brigs when 
almost within sight of their destined port. The dull sailing of 
the vessel, together with the fact of being short of hands, and 
the immense superiority of the enemy's force, all conduced to 
render escape hopeless, and after a running cannonade of short 
duration, she was obliged to strike her flag. In the affair the 
commander was severely wounded. 

The firing was distinctly heard at Galveston, and shortly 
after we received orders to put to sea and bring the enemy to 
action. Taking on board a number of troops, who volunteered 
to act as marines on the occasion, we made sail, accompanied 
by the Tom Toby privateer, under the command of Capt. Hoyt. 
But it was beating the bush after the bird had flown. After 
cruising about for a day and night in the latitude of the 
Brazos, south of which we did not venture for reasons best 
known to the commander, the morning of the second day 
found us becalmed and surrounded by a dense fog, which con- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 227 

tinued till near night. Towards sundown a brief cannonade 
was heard to the southward, in which direction, as soon as the 
wind spring up, we made sail. Being but a short distance off 
shore, we made the land in an hour's time, at the mouth of the 
Brazos, and running down, ascertained that the firing had been 
the salute of an English war vessel, which had arrived shortly 
before. The next day we returned to the harbor of Galveston, 
and thus ended this heroic search for the enemy, the counter- 
part of which may be found in the fact recorded by the poet 
that — 

9 

" The King of France, with ten thousand men, 
Marched up the hill, and then marched down again." 

There was neither honor or profit in remaining on board of 
this vessel, and I petitioned for leave of absence for a short 
time; which being granted, I received permission from the 
Secretary of the Navy to attach myself to either of the vessels 
belonging to the service. While hesitating which to choose, 
the Brutus sailed on a cruise and I again visited Galveston, 
and from thence proceeded to Yelasco, at the mouth of the 
Brazos, where I endeavored to obtain a situation on board of 
the Invincible. In this I failed, that vessel having, as was 
always the case, a full complement of men. I therefore 
returned to Galveston, and remained with the garrison the 
most part of the winter, performing military duty. 

Spring came, and as the news of the general furlough 
granted to the army had reached the island, the men were 
clamorous that the same indulgence should be extended to 
them, and addressed a petition to the Government to be 
allowed their rights. Their prayer was disregarded, and a 
new commandant ordered to take charge of the post. This 
officer was Capt. Turner, now promoted to the rank of lieu- 
tenant-colonel, a man who had won the respect of every one 
under his command. Under the new officer the men submit- 
ted for a while. 



228 WILD OATS SOWINGS, 

This calm was at length broken by the introduction into 
the camp of a barrel of whisky. How it came there very few 
could tell ; but in the morning, when the drums beat the 
reveille and the men turned out to answer the roll-call, they 
discovered the barrel of whisky in the centre of the canton- 
ment of the company of regulars, and instead of putting 
it under guard, as good soldiers should have done, they com- 
menced putting it under their jackets. This was a direct in- 
fringement of camp regulations, and was followed by the ces- 
sation of all military duty for a couple of days, during which 
time the whole camp, in many cases including officers, was 
one scene of drunken revelry. The liquor being used up, 
order was again restored, and the men returned to their duty. 

A court of inquiry was immediately organized, to account 
for the sudden appearance of so unusual a phenomenon, and, 
if possible, to detect the author of the mischief. None but 
good men and true were in the secret, and the court, after a 
session of three days, rose, and gave it as their opinion that 
a barrel of whisky had been introduced within the lines 
of the camp ; but how it came there, and where the devil it 
had gone, was a subject equally mysterious to them ; but that 
the probability was that the source of mischief was by this 
time used up, and any farther investigation therefore useless. 
With this verdict the whole matter was dropped. 

This glaring outrage upon military discipline had the effect 
to open the eyes of the commandant to the danger he incurred 
by resorting to coercive measures to restrain the men, who 
were, as he discovered, determined to resist any infringement 
of their rights by the Government, Two-thirds of the men in 
the army who had received an unlimited furlough were volun- 
teers, six-months men, or who had not been much longer in 
the service ; while the company of regulars in garrison on 
the island had been in service nearly two years, in some in- 
stances suffering great privations from lack of subsistence and 
exposure to the weather, yet bearing all with the utmost 



WIL1) OATS SOWINGS. 229 

cheerfulness. It was the duty of the Government to relieve 
this company by sending a corps of the short-term men to 
Uiq island. The artillery company at the post being volun- 
teers, and not having been so long in service, could have 
no reasonable objection to remaining longer in the garri- 
son. During the riot the men had expressed their determina- 
tion to the colonel to proceed to Houston, and there make 
a demand for their furlough from the President in person. 
Fearing they would put their threat into execution, the com- 
mandant compromised the matter with them, by promising 
that if they would wait three days longer and perform their 
duty, at the expiration of that time, if no relief should arrive, 
he would assume the responsibility of granting three days' 
furlough, to enable them to proceed to Houston to make their 
demand. This was satisfactory to the men, and for three days 
the duties of the garrison were performed in a manner worthy 
of its palmiest days. 

No relief arrived, and the time having expired, the com- 
pany, after turning their arms over to the commissary, left the 
post in a body, and proceeded to the city of Houston, in boats 
provided for the purpose. The city of Plouston was at this 
time just springing into existence. Some twenty houses were 
nearly finished, including the capitol and President's house, 
which latter, by the way, w^as rather a small affair. Where, 
but a couple of months before, nothing but the long grass and 
the primeval forest met the eye, large stores and dwellings 
seemed to have arisen as if by a wave of the magic wand of an 
enchanter ; while the sound of the hammer and saw echoed 
strangely through the still depths of the wooded banks of the 
bayou, where formerly nought had broken the solitude save 
the bark of the wolf or the wild yell of the panther. The 
gambling-houses and drinking- saloons were already in full 
blast, from which the sounds of uproar and revelry nightly 
extended into the " wee sma' hours ayont the twal ;" presenting 
a queer contrast to the yelping devils, the wolves, who ven- 

20 



230 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

tured to the outskirts of the town, and made the air resound 
tvith their odious din. 

The morning after their arrival, the company marched in a 
body to the presidential mansion ; and forming before his door, 
were there met by the chief magistrate of the republic, who 
demanded who they were and what they wanted. On receiv- 
ing an explanation of the wishes or rather demands of the 
men, the President very coolly told them they were sent to 
Galveston to support and defend that post, and advised them 
to return and resume their duty ; swearing that in case of 
non-compliance, he would have every mother's son of them 
hung. This was sufficiently plain for all to understand, and 
they withdrew and returned to the island, where they remained 
some four months longer before being relieved. 

After remaining in Houston two or three days, I took a 
trip to Anahuae, and from thence to Liberty, upon the 
Trinity. During this excursion, having exposed myself much 
to the hot sun and chilly night air, I contracted the fever 
and ague, which is very prevalent on the low levels near the 
gulf. From this disease I suifered greatly for the space of 
three months, experiencing its attacks in all their various 
features, until I was nearly reduced to a skeleton. With me 
it appeared to defy the usual remedies. I took calomel, and 
quinine, and castor oil in large quantities, without obtaining 
any relief; while my nervous system was reduced so low, 
that I experienced continually all the horrors of delirium tre- 
mens. When hope had nearly left me, a friend brought me a 
bottle of Ro wand's tonic mixture, the first dose of which 
broke the disease, and in a short time I recovered my health 
and strength again. By the time I was sufficiently strong to 
leave the house, the Board of Land Commissioners were in 
session for the adjudication of claims, and I immediately pre- 
sented my land scrip, proved the date of my entering the 
service, and received my warrant to locate. 

Having but little inclination to turn farmer, I associated 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 231 

with a person by the name of Hoffman, and commenced keep- 
ing a sort of camp restaurant in the woods, on the bank of the 
bayou. This proved a very lucrative business, having fre- 
quently from seventy-five to one hundred boarders at a time ; 
the only drawback beins:, that vse were obliged to take the 
Government paper, which was v/orth but five cents per dollar, 
in payment. I had been collecting this paper ever since its 
first emission, as it bore twelve per cent, interest per annum 
until redeemed. At the expiration of five months I was 
possessed of a large amount. It was with but little satis- 
faction, therefore, that I learned that Congress had passed a 
law which prevented any scrip from being audited unless the 
persons presenting it had received it direct from the Govern- 
ment. All I had of this description did not amount to one 
hundred dollars, while I had thousands that I had received 
from others, for goods which I had paid for in hard coin. But 
there was no help for it, and I lost no time in selling out my 
interest in the " Goose and Gridiron Retreat," the name of our 
establishment; and after disposing of my land scrip at the usual 
rates given for those documents, I packed up all my effects, and 
proceeding to Galveston, took passage in the schooner Virgil, 
for New-Orleans. 

Upon arriving, I at once endeavored to get rid of the scrip, 
and finally parted with it at the rate of two and a half cents 
per dollar. I was possessed at this time of nearly three 
thousand dollars, and I determined to have no more to do with 
Texas; and after spending a few months in New-Orleans, I 
proceeded by sea to New- York, and took passage for Liverpool, 
where I arrived after a passage of twenty-six days, without 
anything worthy of note transpiring. Arrived at this place, I 
put up at the Three Crowns inn, near the Exchange. Here I 
found a young man of about my own age, a fellow-countryman, 
of the name of Booz. I soon found that his object in coming 
to England was the same as mine, and an agreement was at 
once made to bear each other company while we remained in 



232 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the fast-anchored isle. A few days sufficed to see all the sights 
worthy of note in Liverpool, and having got everything in 
readiness, we took the stage for Prescott and Warrington, on 
our tour through the country. Almost every one who has 
visited England has written more or less of his experience 
there, and the manners and customs of the people have been 
so often described by others that it would be useless for me to 
dwell upon the subject. However, as we journeyed leisurely 
along, leaving and taking the stage whenever it suited us, and 
putting up at such places as promised the greatest fund of 
amusement, it will be readily supposed there were some inci- 
dents worth relating. 

Stopping at a place called Congleton, which we entered 
through a gate bearing a very ancient appearance, over the 
arch of which was an inscription, warning all beggars not to 
enter under the penalty of prosecution to the utmost extent of 
the law, we took up our quarters at the inn. and after procuring 
dinner we sallied into the street in search of novelties. The 
houses in the ancient borough of Congleton bore testimony to 
the antiquity of the place, but the greatest curiosity to us was 
the thatched roofs of a large proportion of the houses, many 
of which bore a soil of six and eight inches in depth, formed by 
the annual decay of the crops of grass and moss which grew 
upon them. After walking about the place for an hour or 
two, we strolled into the road which leads to Newcastle under 
Tyne. 

When about half a mile from Congleton, my companion 
unfortunately discovered a turnip-patch, upon which he made 
a descent for the purpose of procuring one to eat. The ma- 
noeuvre was detected by a number of laborers at work in an 
adjoining field, who immediately started in pursuit of him. 
Booz beat a retreat from the patch in no time, pitching over the 
hedge head first, and bidding me run, scampered, off towards the 
town as fast as his legs could carry him. But he was not to 
get away so easily. Ere he had reached half way, he was 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 233 

overtaken by the enemy and compelled to surrender. While 
this pursuit was going on, a couple of these gentrv came leap- 
ing over the hedge, and stopping, accosted me with, " Eh, 
meister, stealing turnips, art thee?" Of course I denied the soft 
impeachment ; and having seen but one person in the turnip- 
field, they started after their companions, who by this time 
had surrounded my poor comrade, and were leading him along 
towards the town. I soon overtook them, and followed on to 
the office of the justice of the peace. Here the countrymen 
made their complaint, each one appearing anxious to be con- 
sidered the prosecutor. 

Meanwhile the owner of the estate had been sent for, and 
presently appeared a stout, red-faced person, whom the magis- 
trate addressed as Mr. Cummings. The gentleman, after learn- 
ing from his working people the cause of his being sent for, 
turned to Booz, and asked him what induced him to trespass 
upon his land. Booz immediately answered, that being a 
stranger in the country, he had not supposed so small a matter 
as pulling a turnip would have been considered so grave an 
offense. " Where do you belong, then," asked the gentleman, 
" since you do not consider stealing as an offense ?" Booz 
denied the construction put upon his remark, by telling him 
that in the United States, where he belonged, it was not con- 
sidered a crime for a person to enter a field, and pull a turnip 
or pick an apple, adding that he was perfectly willing to pay 
for all the damage he had done. " I had thought you were 
an Englishman," said Mr. Cummings; "but as you are not, 
and appear ignorant of our customs, I will let the matter drop, 
if your honor (turning to the magistrate) is willing," His 
honor thought that a little penalty in the shape of hve British 
shillings would not be amiss ; as the offender had been arrest- 
ed in the act by a number of laborers, who might not be able 
to understand the reason of so much leniency being shown to 
a foreigner. To this Booz assented, and forking over a crown, 
he was set at liberty. " I wonder how much that would be a 
f 20* 



234 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

bushel," said Booz, as we left the magisterial presence : " at 
that rate, a bushel would break me." 

We returned to supper, after which we again started, ac- 
companied by a man with whom we had made acquaintance 
in the tap-room of the inn. This man was a tailor, and a 
knowing man about the place. By him we were introduced 
into a house where we found some thirty young men and 
women, mostly the latter, a fine rosy- cheeked set, who were 
principally engaged in preparing for tea. These girls were 
generally well dressed and quite pretty, but all of them had 
that bold manner of addressing a stranger which stamped the 
loose character. In answer to my inquiries as to the business 
of these persons, he told me they were mostly girls who had 
been turned out of employment at the factories in Manchester 
and other places ; and having nothing to do, they traveled upon 
the roads, until they found some male companion who could 
support them by begging or otherwise, with whom they lived 
in the relation of man aria' wife as long as they could agree. 

The smartest and best dressed of these men were what he 
called turnpike sailors. There were three of these persons in 
the crowd, who could spin a yarn or sing a sea-song in a way 
that would charm a jack-tar. These were dressed in complete 
sailor's rig, and had it not been for their language, I should 
have really believed I was in company with a set of jolly old 
salts. But the moment they began to tell of an awful ship- 
wreck they had recently experienced, I knew they were im- 
postors. However, for the sake of good company, as my com- 
panion assured me we might have some fine singing, I listened 
to their yarns, and made a bargain wherein it was agreed that 
in consideration of our furnishing the beer for the company, 
they were to give us a specimen of their vocal abilities. This 
they did, and after amusing us for a couple of hours, we left 
them in the middle of a plug-muss. Wherever I went, while 
in England, the roads swarmed with these poor stragglers from 
ten to sixty years of age. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 235 

In the course of two months we visited a great many of 
the inland towns and cities of England, and finally reached 
London. Here, after visiting the most noted places, my com- 
panion left me, and sailed in an American ship under contract 
with- the British East India Company ; the vessel, the name of 
which I have forgotten, being commanded by a relative of his. 
I was now alone ; and disliking to choose a stranger for a com- 
panion in such a place, I visited the office of the American 
Consul in St. Paul's Churchyard, and registered my name, in 
case of accidents, and likewise left a duplicate of my pro- 
tection. 

Becoming tired of London, of which I had seen quite as 
much as I desired, I returned to New-York in the St. James 
packet ship, and soon after sailed for Pensacola, where I went 
into the oyster trade. This I found did not pay ; so having 
prepared everything for a voyage, I sailed for Mobile in my 
own boat, having taken on board two men who wished to 
accompany me. In this foolhardy freak I suffered shipwreck, 
and came near losing my life. On the passage, when about 
half way between the two ports, my little craft was driven 
ashore, nearly drowning myself and companions. However, 
after the storm passed we succeeded in launching the boat, 
and proceeded on our voyage, which happily terminated with- 
out any farther disaster. I proceeded to New-Orleans at once, 
and rejecting all the overtures of the captain of the Texan 
steamer of war Zavalla to return to that service, I joined 
the brig Vernon, of Kennebunk, bound to Havre. 



236 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



Arrive at Havre— Rouen— Passage up the Seine— Paris— Monsieur Cui- 
sard— My chaperone— Visit the lions— The Dufilhos— The proffered 
exchange— Adieu— Return to Havre — Monsieur Louis — The.Florian — 
Capt. Myers— The Bay of Biscay— Enter the Garronne— Bordeaux— 
The Irish Frenchman— Voyage to St. Ubes— Sail for Portsmouth, 
N. H. — Visit my native city— Welcome— Rio de Janeiro — Rio de la 
Plata—Retrospect of Rio de Janeiro — My adventure there. 

According to my contract, on arriving at that port the 
captain relieved me from any farther obligation to remain by 
the vessel ; and having procured passports through the means 
of the American Consul, I took passage in the steamer to 
Rouen, forty-five miles distant from Havre. This place I 
found to be quite the reverse of what I had anticipated. Its nar- 
row, crooked streets, and antiquated wooden buildings, dingy 
and smoke-dried, appeared to impart their sombre color to the 
very atmosphere. But these disagreeable impressions soon 
wore off in the company of the French women, who meet a 
person at every turn with the polite request to be informed 
what monsieur would have. I remained in Rouen long enough 
to visit the cathedral, and the statue of Joan of Arc in the 
market-place, and after tasting of their eau-de-vie, I recom- 
menced my voyage upon the Seine. 

The next morning I was in a world of itself — Paris. I 
had not . forgotten the stories which had been related by the 
Dufilhos and Mons Rose, and determined to have the plea- 
sure of seeing the sights myself. Upon arriving, there were 
passports to be examined and luggage to be overhauled, all 
done in the most delicate way by great broad-shouldered gen- 
darmes, with their chapeaux tucked under their arms, and 
after an hour I could go where I pleased — that is, if I had 
money enough. I was taken possession of by an American 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 237 

Frenchman, named Mons. Cuisard, who hurried me to the 
Hotel (TAmerique, where, rejoicing in his good luck at having 
secured one of the strangers, he placed his all at my dispo- 
sal — for a consideration, of course. Mine host was a native of 
the parish of Iberville, in Louisiana, as were likewise all of his 
family. He also knew the Dufilhos, who were in Paris, and 
to whom he proposed to take me as soon as I was rested. 
When I asked him if he knew of any one whom I could get 
to pilot me around the city, his whole family being present, he 
turned round laughing, and rubbing his hands in great glee, 
told me to take my choice. I did so by choosing one of his 
daughters, who readily accepted the office. 

With this lady for a guide during a stay of three weeks, I 
rambled and rode all over the city, visiting the theatres, 
gardens, palaces, churches, bridges, and every place of note. 
With his family, according to promise, I visited Mons. Dufilho, 
by whom, as well as his son and daughters, I was welcomed 
with great joy. I could have set myself down with these kind 
people, and rested for the remainder of my life, but my evil 
destiny prevailed, and I refused all offers of the kind. 

With Mons. Dulilho I visited the Tuilleries, Jardin des 
Plantes, the Column Napoleon, and a thousand places, the 
names of which have passed from my memory. W^hile at the 

residence of Mons. D , his lady asked if I ever thought of 

the Hose family, and inquired if I did not have some memorial 
of them. I knew what she had reference to ; and taking the 
crucifix from my bosom, where it had hung through all my 
mischances, I showed the initials upon it. The old lady 
smiled, saying, "You will never get married, if you continue 
to wear that rosary. Let me have it, and I will give you 
another and richer one." I told her I had sworn never to part 
with it while life remained ; after which I heard nothing more 
on the subject. We continued on good terms, but I thought 
they were not quite so cordial in their greetings, and as the 
time drew near for my departure I ceased to visit them any 






238 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



more. On the morning I sailed, however, they all visited me 
and bade me farewell. 

I returned to Havre by the same way I came, viz. the 
Seine packet boat. I found my old ship still in port, and 
had an offer of a berth on board ; but not liking the idea 
of returning to the United States by the same route I had 
come, the offer was declined. Havre being a place having 
great commercial relations with our country, its docks were 
full of American ships, and the city was crowded with 
Yankees: there was consequently no lack either of society 
or amusement. I therefore took up my residence with Mons. 
Louis, who kept a boarding-house for the crews of those ves- 
sels that lay in the docks, on board of which no fire is allowed. 
This place seemed to offer the best chance for me to hear of 
any opportunity that might turn up for making a kind of 
straggling voyage, the landlord offering to be on the look-out 
in case of my absence. 

I remained a fortnight in Havre before the wished-for 
chance occurred, through Capt. Myers, of the ship Florian, 
of Charleston, S. C. This gentleman, whose crew had left 
him, wished to take his vessel to Bordeaux, and I immediately 
offered my services, which were accepted. Owing to some 
difficulty with the crew who worked his ship from the United 
States, the captain could not procure men in Havre for a regu- 
lar voyage, and he therefore resorted to the method of picking 
up those whom he could get to assist in taking the ship round 
to Bordeaux, w r ith the understanding that they were to be dis- 
charged upon arriving at that port. The former chief officer 
of the ship was in irons in the steerage, where he was to re- 
main until the vessel returned to Charleston. 

After getting the ship to the pier-head, I was almost 
frightened at the appearance of the crew thus hurriedly 
brought together. These were a Scotchman, an Irishman, 
and two French lads who had just left a whaler in Havre. 
The first two were almost useless in working ship, having 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 239 

never stepped on the decks of a sailing vessel, as they were both 
coal-heavers on board of a British steam-packet, from which 
they had deserted. These men, with an American negro as 
cook, and myself, composed the crew, who were to take a ship 
of four hundred tons down the British Channel and through 
the Bay of Biscay to Bordeaux. 

On casting off from the pier, I asked Capt. Myers if this 
was all the crew he had shipped, adding that it would be im- 
possible for us to work the vessel if the weather should prove 
stormy. He replied that he had shipped three more men, 
whose chests were in the cabin, but the men had left the vessel 
in the night and it was now too late to provide others ; add- 
ing: " These are not the best of men, but by instructing them 
a little, I guess we can get along. I have no officers on board, 
and shall expect you to take charge of the larboard watch, 
and I will make it all satisfactory to you when we reach 
Bordeaux." 

It was too late to repent, as the ship was already on her 
voyage, and making good progress under her top and top- 
gallant' sails, which had been sheeted home and mast-headed 
before we cast off from the pier. With the well-known song 
of "The Bay of Biscay" ringing in my ears, all the features 
of which I expected to experience, I directed the crossing of 
the royal yards, the rigging of which I was obliged to go aloft 
and do myself ; and setting the studding-sails, we flew down 
the channel before a fresh breeze, which made the light spars 
bend like withes. Everything prospered with us, and we 
reached the mouth of the Garronne after a passage of three 
days. Remaining at anchor over night, the morning found us 
under way up the river, and by three p. m. we moored ship 
in front of the most beautifully situated city I had as yet seen 
in Europe. The curve of its front upon the river,. though not 
so long, is as regular as that of the far-famed Crescent City. 
The uniform height of the houses — the broad and perfectly 
clean quay, paved to low- water mark, and crowded with people 



240 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and vehicles — the magnificent bridge above the anchorage, span- 
ning the broad and rapid stream with its massive arches, and the 
fleets of merchantmen, formed a panorama upon which the eye 
dwelt with rapture. Nor did I find the people on shore in any 
way behind what the appearance of the city warranted me in 
supposing. Wherever I went, I experienced the greatest kind- 
ness and urbanity. 

My voyage being ended, and being anxious to make myself 
acquainted with the city and its inhabitants, I applied to the 
captain for my discharge, which having procured, I took lodg- 
ings upon the quay at the house of an Irishman, a Mr. Murphy, 
who politely informed me that he was a Frenchman, in spite 
of a brogue that would have graced the hills of " Tipperary." 
I spent a fortnight in Bordeaux, the last three days of which 
were the 29th, 30th, and 31st of July, commonly called the 
days of the Constitution. On this occasion the display of troops 
was very imposing, and the fete ended on the 31st with a 
splendid exhibition of fireworks. On that day I engaged with 
Capt. Marshall, of the ship Olive and Eliza, of Portsmouth, to 
accompany him on a voyage to St. Ubes, in Portugal, and 
thence to Portsmouth, N. PL I joined his vessel and we sailed 
the next day. On arriving at St. Ubes we discharged our 
ballast, and taking on board a cargo of salt, sailed for the 
United States, where we arrived in November. 

Coming upon the northern and eastern coast of the United 
States, after nearly six years' sojourn within the 30th degree 
of north latitude, operated somewhat as a cooler upon my 
feelings, and I had almost accepted of a chance which offered 
to transport me to the warmer latitudes of the South, when 
my nearness to home recurred to my mind, and I deter- 
mined to visit once more my native city. I was not long in 
putting this project in execution, and once more received the 
affectionate embraces of my dear mother, brothers, and sisters, 
whom I found all alive and well, and quite overjoyed at my 
return. Any one would naturally suppose I had seen enough 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 241 

of the world by this time, but such was not the case, and 
ere I had been in Boston a week, I began to look around 
for a berth. I had never been south of the Equator, and my 
inclination led in that direction. Accordingly, I made a voyage 
to Kio de Janeiro, and after a stay of about three weeks in 
that port, sailed for the Kio de la Plata, in an old hide-drogher 
called the Herald. 

We were a month in making the mouth of the river ; but it 
was midsummer in this part of the world, and the weather 
was beautiful, so that the time passed pleasantly enough, as we 
were continually falling in with vessels. But at length we 
entered the muddy waters of the La Plata. Eio de Janeiro, 
which I had just left, possessed the finest harbor I had ever 
been in, although difficult of entrance and still more of egress. 
At its entrance on the left rises the Sugar Loaf, an immense 
mountain, so called from its shape, and on the right, a strong 
castle, called Santa Cruz. The entrance between these two 
is so narrow that at the distance of three miles I could not see 
them, and as we passed in, I thought I might easily throw 
a stone upon either ; but a short distance farther, a broad and 
beautiful bay, studded with green islands, burst upon the 
sight, sufficiently large for all the navies of the world to ride 
at anchor in. Upon the left, sheltered by high mountains, lay 
the imperial city, the white houses glistening in the rays of a 
tropical sun, and on the opposite side of the bay is the town 
of Prior Grande, with its low houses surrounded with orange 
and lemon orchards The islands, with their summits crowned 
with either a fortress or monastery, and the bay with its large 
fleet of ships-of-war of all nations, from the deck of some one 
of which martial music was continually pouring, all combined 
to make up a. little world of its own, enclosed to all appearance 
by high mountains, alike isolated and independent of the affairs 
that agitated the world without. 

I saw but little of the city, but that little was sufficient; 
for the first time I was on shore, after looking at the palace of 

21 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

San Christavao, and through the principal streets, I adjourned 
to a cafe, or coffee-house, and after sitting a couple of hours, 
started for the boat, which was to land at the palace-stairs ; 
but ere I had reached half-way, I was attacked by a gang of 
ruffians, who would inevitably have killed me, had it not 
been for a party of officers who belonged to the Constellation 
frigate, then lying in the harbor. These happened, luckily for 
me, to be on their way to the frigate's boat, and seeing the gang 
pounding me with clubs, they dispersed the scoundrels and 
carried me on board of their ship, and, after dressing my 
bruises had me sent on board of my own vessel. There were 
recently a great many sailors on shore from the various men- 
of-war in the port, some of whom had committed all manner 
of outrages upon the inhabitants ; and as is usually the case, 
the Brazilians visited the iniquity indiscriminately upon all 
who fell in their way who were not able to take their own 
part. Therefore, considering it dangerous ground, I did not 
venture on shore for any farther explorations for the time 
being. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



The Banda Oriental— Maldonado — The mate of the Herald — Capt. Bur- 
roughs — The yarn — Flores — Montevideo — The hostile squadrons — 
Don Poncho Munoz — The stranded vessel — Saladieros — Method of 
slaughtering cattle — Guachos — Their habits — Description of Monte- 
video — The war — Rival Presidents — Cause of present quarrel — Oribe 
driven from Uruguay by Rivera — The Argentines fail in reinstating 
him — Additional cause of umbrage — The war spirit. 



It was a bright and beautiful morning in January, when I 
first cast my eyes upon the green hills of the Banda Oriental. 
We were close in with the island of Maldonado, over and 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 243 

beyond which we could see the high watchtower of the citadel, 
through the light vapor which hung over the campos, or prai- 
rie. With the first appearance of the sun's broad disc, a jet 
of flame and smoke issued from the ramparts of the fortress, 
and ere the deep boom of the gun had reached us, the flag of 
the republic of Uruguay floated upon the breeze. " There 
goes a defiance to old Rosas," said the mate of the ship, who 
had just stuck his nose out of the companion-way ; " Grita 
machachos, viva la Republica Oriental" Some half dozen sallow 
complexioned members of the crew responded, " Viva" while 
the rest turned laughingly away to the galley for their coffee. 
" Mr. Chambers," said the captain, " you will oblige me by 
keeping quiet ; we do not require any political demonstrations 
on board of this ship. You take such an interest in these 
affairs, that I almost wonder you left the fleet." "Wellj 
Capt. Burroughs," said the mate, " perhaps I should not have 
left them if I could have kept my head upon my shoulders 
by staying." " Dew tell I" exclaimed the captain, advancing 
towards his officer. " Fact, sir: you recollect the revolt on 
board of the Veinticinco de Mayo? 9 Capt. Burroughs nodded. 
" I was on board of her that night." " Pshaw ! I want to 
know !" By this time the eyes of Capt. Burroughs, whom the 
reader will detect at once as a Connecticut Yankee, were half 
out of his head, and seizing the mate by the button of his 
coat and drawing him towards the wheel, which I had just 
relieved, begged Chambers to tell him all about it. 

" Well," said the mate, " I was a lieutenant on board, and 
Major Chambers had command of the ship, but none of us 
officers knew anything of the affair until it commenced. 
'Twas near midnight, and I had just come off from the shore. 
After seeing the boat hoisted up, I went below and was about 
to turn in, when I heard a running and scuffling overhead. 
I dressed myself as quick as I could and went on deck, where 
I had hardly set my foot before I was knocked down, and the 
next moment I felt the point of a bayonet at my throat. Of 



244 'WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

course I could do nothing in such a situation, so I lay still, 
while all our boys, (meaning the foreigners,) having no arms, 
had taken to the rigging. The mutineers now had the com- 
plete command of the deck, and endeavored to cut the cable. 
At this they could not make much progress, so they gave it 
up, and commenced getting out the launch ; but before they 
could succeed in this, the boats from the Sarandhi and Con- 
stitution poured a whole flood of men on board and drove a 
part of the mutineers overboard, where they shot them, and 
put those remaining on board in irons. I was the only one 
on deck who had not succeeded in getting into the rigging, 
and they accused me of taking part in the mutiny. Commo- 
dore Coe came off in the morning, and after releasing the 
men in irons, had them set up on the night-heads as targets 
for the marines, after which he ordered me to be put in the 
darbies, (irons,) and ordered a court-martial to be held. I was 
tried, but they could not make out anything against me, so 
I was acquitted ; but they appeared to be suspicious of me, 
which not liking exactly, I left them the first opportunity 
that offered, and claimed the protection of our flag ; and 
that is the reason why I left the fleet, captain." " Why, la 
me ! but you're a smart one !" said Burroughs, as he shuffled 
to the companion and dived below. " If I'd been you, I'd have 
seen it out. If they catch you now, they'll shoot you, as sure 
as I'd give a dollar for a hide." 

By the time my turn at the helm was out, we were above 
Flores, a small island on which the light-house of Montevideo 
is situated, while before us the mount rose in solitary gran- 
deur, its crest surmounted by the frowning ramparts of a for- 
tress. To the right stood the city, built on a knoll, presenting 
a very picturesque appearance from the river. 

We were soon at anchor ; and the sails having been furled, 
I had a chance to look about me. A squadron of American 
ships of war lay in the outer roads, together with some eight 
or ten others of different nations. Above these latter, and in 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 245 

plain sight of the city, were the hostile fleet of the Argen- 
tines or Buenos Ayreans, numbering, large and small, ten ves- 
sels. The Oriental squadron were at anchor close in under 
the mount ; and although there were but three vessels, their 
appearance was decidedly more warlike than those of their 
enemy. A line brig belonging to the navy of the country 
was anchored off the mole ; and judging from appearances, 
the* Montevideans were as likely to be successful in a naval 
combat as the Argentines, who made such a taunting display 
of their force before the city. 

The inner harbor was full of merchant vessels of all coun- 
tries, though the largest number of any one nation were the 
universal Yankee. Interspersed with those were a number of 
small sloops of war belonging to the Brazilians, and the 
American war schooner Enterprise. The harbor was alive 
with lighters and boats of every description, and the mole was 
crowded to its utmost capacity with the people of every nation, 
age, sex, and color ; all jabbering, talking, and yelling in as 
many different languages, making it another Babel. 

We were not long in discharging the cargo of the ship, 
after which I bid good-bye to the Herald, and started to try 
my luck among the Uruguayans. At first I was very fortunate 
in procuring employment in the service of Don Poncho Munoz, 
a son of the opulent Minister of Finance of the republic. 
An American brig, which had been stranded on the beach 
a few miles west of the city, had been bought by this gentleman, 
who was about to take measures to get her afloat again. 
Upon offering my services, the Hidalgo promised me a large 
bonus the moment the vessel was brought to the city, besides 
a monthly stipend of thirty dollars per month. With these 
inducements I went to work; and being supplied with the 
necessary materials, and a force of some three hundred peons 
or laborers from the saladiercs of Don Poncho and the Messrs. 
Lafond, in twenty-eight days from the time we commenced 
operations, we had the satisfaction of getting her afloat and tow- 

21* 



246 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

ingher to the city, to the unbounded satisfaction of my employer, 
who followed up his promise by paying me down one hundred 
and twenty-eight dollars, and offering to employ me on board of 
the brig in any capacity I chose. But as he designed the vessel 
for a sealer, a business of which I understood nothing, and 
wished to know less, I concluded to look out for something else. 

I have mentioned the term saladieros, which may require a 
little explanation. It is the name of those places where cattle 
and horses are slaughtered, and their hides cured for exporta- 
tion. I visited the one known as Lafond's, in the vicinity of 
the city, and was surprised at the extent of the operations. 
They slaughtered at the rate of from five to seven per minute, 
through the whole forenoon ; and even this they seemed to 
consider slow work, as they made great complaints of the small 
number of cattle being driven in. 

The manner of killing is peculiar to them. A little pen or 
stall just large enough to admit one animal at a time, is attached 
to the corner of the corral, or enclosure containing the cattle, 
the floor of which is a small platform car, precisely similar to 
the dumping-cars in use on our railroads for the purpose of 
removing earth or stone. A small portcullis is at either end, 
for the admission of the animal and the egress of his carcass. 
The executioner occupies a seat directly over the animal's neck, 
and for the greater dispatch of business, has one of these stalls 
upon either side of him. The barrier between the stall and 
corral is raised, and one of the cattle enters, when it is closed, and 
the " Pillier" with a long and keen two-edged knife, about 
three-quarters of an inch in width, disjoints the neck by insert- 
ing the point in the centre of what is usually called the cow- 
lick, which most always marks the position of the proper spot. 
The animal gives but one sigh, and falls completely paralyzed. 
The opposite barrier is raised, and the car rolls out to any 
place unoccupied, and depositing the carcass, is pushed back 
for another load. The animal's carcass now claims the atten- 
tion of another party of operators, who divest it of its skin 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 247 

with astonishing dexterity, and in a very few minutes every 
trace of it has disappeared, even the flesh of the animal being 
in many cases thrown into the try-kettles, especially those 
parts which contain tallow, the scraps of which are used as 
fuel. It will readily be inferred that beef can be procured 
at a cheap rate in such a place. It is often delivered on board 
the vessels in the harbor at from fifty cents to one dollar per 
quarter. The immense herds of cattle, horses, and mules which 
roam at will over the pampas, constitute the sole wealth of the 
inhabitants, and no attention is paid to any other branch of 
industry. 

The natives are indolent, and care little about accumulating 
more than is necessary for their present wants, which, owing to 
their temperate habits, requires no great exertion to obtain. 
They are passionately fond of dancing and gambling, cards 
being the medium of the latter. The gaucho, with his pack of 
cards, cigarette, and a few patacones (dollars,) has attained the 
heigh th of his wishes, which can only be added to by un chiquita 
vaso de cana, which, if anything was yet wanting, serves to 
complete his happiness. 

Montevideo, the capital of the Banda Oriental, or more 
properly, of the state of Uruguay, is situated on the north side 
of the River Plata, about forty miles from its mouth, in lati- 
tude 34° 35' S., longitude 53° 25' W., and was, at the date of 
my visit, a prosperous and thriving place. Its site, upon a 
knoll jutting into the river, is commanding and beautiful. The 
city is laid out with much regularity. The streets, though 
rather narrow, intersect each other at right angles, and are 
well paved and clean. The houses, mostly of one story with 
flat roofs, indicate by their neatness the opulence of their 
occupants. On the summit of the knoll lies the Plaza Granda, 
or great square, the eastern side occupied by the cathedral, 
surmounted in front by two towers, the main building crowned 
by a massive dome. Opposite the cathedral the cabilda meets 
the eye. This place contains the courts of justice and prison, 



248 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and the various offices of the Government along its north 
front, while the south side is devoted to stores of the better 
class. All of the principal streets diverge from the Square. 

The city, while under the Spanish government, had been 
surrounded by a strong wall, which was now nearly in ruins, 
only a small portion remaining entire upon the south-eastern 
point ; and the Bouveries, on the south-west, yet showed the 
care the Spaniards had taken to guard their possessions. A 
massive gateway still reared its head in the market-place, an 
emblem of the decay of the power of those who raised it. 

The people I found much more sociable and friendly than 
I had anticipated. The fair senoras and senoritas, especially, 
are careless of betraying their partiality to foreigners, more 
particularly those of the Anglo-Saxon race. A large propor- 
tion of the inhabitants of the city, at that time, were French, 
from the Biscayan departments of France. In the hands of 
these people, with a few American and English merchants, 
were held most of the mercantile interests of the place. The 
all-absorbing object with the native population seemed to be 
the prosecution of the war, now being waged with various 
success against the Government of the Confederation, at the 
head of which stood Don Juan Manuel Rosas, the Governor 
of the province of Buenos Ayrcs. There were at this time 
two claimants to the Presidency of the Uruguayan Republic — 
Don Fructuoso Rivera, a military chieftain, who was supported 
by the great mass of the Orientals, and Don Manuel Oribe, a 
former confederate of Rivera, who was supported in his 
claims by the army of Buenos Ayres. Rivera and Oribe had 
been formerly associated in the command of the army of the 
confederacy, which had expelled the Brazilian troops, who 
had overrun the Banda Oriental, claiming it as the patrimony 
of one of the imperial princesses by virtue of a gift from Don 
Pedro the First, who, it appears, was famous for giving away 
what did not belong to him. The invaders being expelled, the 
Orientals, as an earnest of their gratitude, elected Rivera to 



1 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 249 

the Presidency. After serving his term, not liking the duties 
of government, he declined a re-election, intimating his wish 
to serve the country as commander of the national forces, and 
nominating his former colleague as a person worthy of their 
suffrages. The people acquiescing in the wish of Rivera, con- 
ferred the command of the troops upon him, and elected Oribe 
President. The new chief magistrate found himself, imme- 
diately after his induction into office, completely nonplussed by 
the state of affairs in which his predecessor had left the exe- 
cutive department, who, among other things of less moment, 
had f rgotten to account for the money accruing from the 
revenues of the country, which had disappeared from the na- 
tional treasury. Anxious to be enlightened upon this subject, 
the President summoned Rivera, who was already, with the 
army, some thirty leagues from the capital, to return in com- 
pany with the escort sent to re- conduct him to the seat of 
government, there to answer to the charge of embezzling the 
public funds. Rivera refused to appear, and reproached Oribe 
with ingratitude, averring that Oribe owed his present dignity 
solely to himself ; and that as he was merely an official of his 
own creation, he (Rivera) did not consider himself accountable 
to him for any acts of his government. 

Upon receiving this answer, Oribe immediately procured 
an act of the legislative body decreeing the disbanding of the 
army ; which act,, to render it more forcible, received the 
sanction of the chief dignitaries of the church, who threatened 
all with excommunication who should refuse to obey the 
mandate of the executive. This operated like magic upon 
the army, which gradually fell away from their old General, 
who, at the end of a week, had scarcely men enough left with 
him to form a body-guard. Meanwhile Oribe raised a strong 
body of troops and marched from the capital to arrest his in- 
subordinate General, who on receiving intelligence of his prox- 
imity, commanded the few who still remained faithful to him 
to disperse, at the same time requiring them to hold themselves 



250 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

in readiness to rejoin him the moment he should take the field 
again. Oribe, upon arriving, found the bird had flown. Rivera 
had taken refuge among the inhabitants of the neighboring 
province of Rio Grande, which forms a part of the Brazilian 
empire. 

At this time a strong party existed in this province ad- 
verse to the imperial government. This party were styled 
Feraps or Frappes, and acknowledged the leadership of two 
chieftains, named respectively Ben to Gonzales and Ben to 
Manoel. These turbulent spirits, it appears, were in league 
with the defaulting President, and not only received him with 
open arms, but promised to espouse his quarrel, and furnish 
him with the necessary means to enable him to drive Oribe 
from the Banda Oriental. On the strength of these promises, 
it is said that Rivera, when he left his camp, indited a letter 
to the President, in which he promised to* meet him, Oribe, 
one year from that day, and fully satisfy him upon all points 
connected with his government. In this promise he did not 
fail to keep his word, and on the first anniversary of his flight 
he encountered Oribe, who had marched from the capital at 
the head of an equal force, and beat him in a pitched battle, 
in which the most of his troops were slaughtered ; and pressing 
on in pursuit, laid siege to Montevideo, where the vanquished 
President had taken refuge with the shattered remnant of his 
forces. 

Having caged his enemy, Rivera pressed the siege with such 
vigor that in less than two months Oribe and his adherents 
fled to the Buenos Ayrean squadron and sailed for Buenos 
Ayres. Here he was received by Rosas, who undertook the 
task of reinstating him in his former dignity. In all the 
attempts of the Argentine Government to effect this purpose 
they signally failed. Meanwhile, Rivera gave fresh umbrage 
to Rosas and his government, by not only refusing to furnish 
the contingent of men, arms, and money to repel the blockade 
of the French, which they were bound to do by the articles of 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 251 

confederation, but aided and assisted the latter by furnishing 
them with provisions, allowing their vessels the refuge of their 
harbors, loaning vessels, etc., all of which went to swell the 
measure of the iniquity of the Orientals, who were now de- 
nounced as traitors, pirates, and cut-throats, and against whom 
a war cf extermination was declared. The war had been 
carried on in this spirit nearly four years when I arrived in 
thai country, and the various war-cries and responses of their 
troops on parade, and on board of their national vessels, 
sounded harshly upon the ear, and I resolved to have nothing 
to do with them. How well I succeeded in this determination 
we shall see presently. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

A new engagement — Start for Canalones — Peons — Appearance of the 
country — Pulperias — Ostriches — The chase — An unexpected result — 
Tin a prisoner — Destination — My offense — Return to the Pulperia — 
I find friends — Chine's — Manuela — Brutality of the guard — Liberated 
— A race in the dark — The unknown guide — A surprise — Bantering — 
The journey ended — The brothers— Matte — Mode of preparation — 
Doubts of safety — Relieved — Agreeable pastimes — Costume of the 
Guachos — The lasso — Venture into the city — Repeat the visit and am 
arrested. 

I had made an engagement with an estanciero, or cattle- 
owner, residing at Canalones, distant about five leagues, as I 
was told, from the city. Having been provided with a horse, 
I started, in company with a number of peons or laborers be- 
longing to his establishment, to inspect the locality of my 
intended residence. It was early in the forenoon when we set 
out, and being well mounted, and withal a merry company, 
we were soon out of sight of the city. The short tufted grass, 



252 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

free from weeds, was as soft as a velvet carpet, and we were 
continually diverging from the beaten track in racing with 
each other, so that it was noon before we reached the Pulperia, 
or grocery, which I was informed was half-way to our place of 
destination. Here we halted, and after refreshing ourselves 
with bread and cheese, and a liberal supply of caha, of which 
some of us partook rather too much, we resumed our journey. 

About a mile from our stopping-place a large field of 
Scotch thistles attracted my attention, and not being able from 
the distance to determine what they were, I requested one of 
my companions to enlighten me. This drew the attention of 
the whole party to the object of my inquiry, and before I could 
catch a word of reply from either of them, they were in full 
career in that direction. Wondering what had possessed them, 
I stopped my horse to see the result of this freak. I had not 
long to wait. Ere the first of them had reached the covert, a 
score of emues, or ostriches, sprang from it, and extending their 
short wings, skirred across the campo with the rapidity of 
lightning. This was too good sport to be lost, so settling myself 
in my saddle I joined the chase ; but although the birds passed 
at no great distance from me, I was soon left far behind both 
by the birds and their pursuers. Plowever, I still continued 
on, keeping my horse at the top of his speed, until my breath 
was spent, and then held up to recover for a fresh start. 

My comrades were now ascending a slight elevation, about 
three miles distant, as near as I could judge, and I was about 
to make a fresh effort to join them, when a loud and stern 
voice behind commanded me to halt. I turned, and my eyes 
encountered a body of at least fifty men, armed with lance and 
sabre, who were within one hundred yards of me. Of course 
I halted at once. The troops swept by me at full gallop, 
a couple of files of troopers with a corporal, from the rear 
section, alone remaining behind, and I began to have an uncom- 
fortable impression that I had got myself into a scrape. The 
troop still kept on their course, but at length I observed 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 253 

another leave their ranks, and turning his horse, galloped back 
to the spot where we still sat upon our horses. On reaching 
us, he delivered the order of his commander to the first cor- 
poral, who had halted to rejoin the troop, and then approach- 
ing me, he demanded whether I had any arms. I answered I 
had not ; but this did not appear satisfactory, and he ordered 
*me to dismount. I was about to parley with- him, but a 
look convinced me that it was of no use, and I obeyed. My 
submission in this instance procured me an emphatic " Bueno 
muchacho t" _from the corporal, equivalent to good hoy, in Eng- 
lish. I was now searched, and everything taken from my 
pockets, the scoundrel putting their contents, with the excep- 
tion of about three-quarters of a dollar, into his own pocket, 
telling me that where I' was going; it might be a source of 
trouble to me. I asked him where that was, and was not 
a little surprised when he answered that my destination was the 
quartel dc la policia ; in other words, the Cahilda. Upon farther 
inquiry, I found there was a statute in the country forbidding 
the chasing or hunting of the ostrich within nine leagues of the 
city, under the penalties of fine and imprisonment. This gave 
me an insight into the nature of the scrape I had unfortunately 
got myself into ; but as they were to take me back to Monte- 
viclio, I had not the least doubt I should be able to get clear 
from their clutches, and therefore determined to make myself 
perfectly easy, even to the robbery I had been subjected to, 
having already made up my mind to have the rascally corporal 
arrested and obliged to disgorge the property he had taken 
from me. 

Having finished their search, which, luckily for me, went 
no farther than my pockets, and their examination to find out 
whether I had a belt around my waist, — a common receptacle 
for valuables in that country, — -I was ordered to re-mount, 
when my arms were pinioned at the elbows behind my back, 
and with one of these licensed thieves on each side of me we 
began our march for the city. In our chase after the ostriches 

22 



254 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

we had not only traveled out of our way, but had likewise 
gone a great distance ; and it was near sunset when our party 
reached the Pulperia, where I had halted at noon. My re-ap- 
pearance under such circumstances, and in such company, 
aroused the sympathy of the proprietor of the place, who 
remembered I had given him a benefit by paying for every- 
thing that had been called for ; and he at once inquire 1 into 
the cause of my detention, and furnished me with refresh- 
ments. 

It had been decided that we were to remain here until the 
moon rose, when we were to ride forward to the city; and in 
the meanwhile I was to remain tied and seated upon my horse, 
guarded by one of my escort, until the moment of starting. 
The Pulpevia man remonstrated against this arrangement as 
unchristian, and the controversy drew the whole of the guests 
of the Pulperia around me. Among these was a very pretty 
chi.'ie, or half-breed, a cross between the Spaniard and Indian. 
This race, or I should rather say caste, are the handsomest 
people in the country. The females especially are most of 
them beautiful; their forms rather below the middle size, with 
a clear brunette complexion, finely turned limbs, and flashing 
black eyes, into which the cool-blooded Anglo Saxon can 
hardly look without danger of captivation. Such an one was 
the fascinating being who stood before me w r ith an arch smile 
upon her lips, from which I heard the words " Pobre Ameri- 
cano" fall in the most silvery voice I had ever heard. She 
was an old acquaintance, it appeared, of my harsh guardian, who 
addressed her as Manuela. She at onCe took sides with my 
friend, the Pulperia man, and finally it was decided that 
I might dismount and enter the house. A secure corner of the 
room into which I was introduced was assigned to me, while 
the rest of the company, with their cards and cana, amused 
themselves at monte, the favorite game of the country. 

My new friend Manuela, for I already recognized her as 
such, was very attentive to the corporal, and that distinguished 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 255 

individual refused to take the mate eup from any other person. 
I also notieed there was some collusion between her and the 
proprietor of the house, and I saw they were playing a deep 
game with the corporal, and that the stake was no other than 
myself. Among the money paid me by Don Poncho Munoz, 
were five Popayan doubloons, four of which I had quilted into 
the collar of my coat, and the other was concealed between 
the outside and lining of the shoe on my right foot. My 
guard were already half drunk, and had given up the idea 
of going, for the present, as it threatened to rain ; and Manuela 
having taken the liberty to pass the mate cup to me, it was 
observed by the brute, who rushed towards me, drawing his 
sabre and making a cut at my head, which was only prevented 
from being effectual by the proximity of the wall, which 
arrested the blow. The scoundrel, having miscalculated his 
distance, fell his full length on the floor, where, by the joint 
consent of the sober portion of the party, he was disarmed to 
prevent any farther exhibition of his brutality. But this 
measure was useless, for the ruffian did not attempt to rise, and 
I never saw him again until I had an opportunity to pay him 
off in full. In the morning, when he found his prisoner flown, 
he was frantic with rage, and fearful of rejoining the troop to 
which he belonged, he deserted to the Buenos Ajrreans, taking 
his two companions with him. 

After the narrow escape I had just made, when it was found 
we were free from farther surveillance from the drunken guard, 
the Pulperia man commenced sounding the company on the 

, propriety of letting me go, a measure to which they all agreed. 
To make sure of his men, the. proprietor drew up a paper which 
he required them all to sign, which being done, my horse was 
brought out, and having been untied I was told to mount, 
as there was no time to lose. " Adia?, passer bien ; vamos 
muchachas" said my friendly Pulperia man as I seated myself 

1 in the saddle. I reached forward and deposited the doubloon 
I had taken from my shoe in his hand, but in the darkness of 



256 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the night he could not have seen what I had given him, and 
the next moment I found myself in full gallop, with an unknown 
companion a few paces in advance of my steed. 

We continued on in this way for an hour, when being out 
of breath, I reined up, calling to my guide to have a little 
mercy on me. My leader, who had, in spite of all my efforts 
to come alongside, kept the same distance a*head, now turned, 
and facing me, burst into a loud laugh. To my amazement, 
I now discovered that it was the Chine Manuela who had 
led me such a steeple-chase, and for a moment I felt rather 
flat at the idea of being outridden by a mere girl, whose taunt- 
ing laugh made me sensible of her being aware of her superior 
horsemanship. Another feature struck me as a novelty in 
female equestrianism ; for, unlike all I had ever seen in Europe 
or America, where they make use of side-saddles, my conduc- 
tress bestrode her steed with the air of a cavalier, while the way 
in which she managed the half-wild animal under her, would 
have been a lesson for a circus-rider. ' ' Are you tired V inquired 
Manuela. " Almost ready to drop off my horse," I replied. 
" Que pobre muchachita" (What a poor little fellow,) said the 
witch, laughing outrageously. " Pero nosotras, no se podia 
descama ahora" (But we cannot rest at present : I'll be an 
excellent mother to you.) " Adelante. 9 ' (Forward.) " I will keep 
by your side." But for the sake of brevity, I will endeavor 
to give the account of my adventures in English, as far as that 
language will convey the meaning. 

We now continued on our course at a more moderate pace, 
and I gave my conductress an account of all which had befallen 
me since I landed in Montevideo, and sounded her as to the 
propriety of my claiming the protection of the Munqz family. 
"Not now," said Manuela, " it will not do at present: you 
must wait until this affair blows over. It will soon be forgotten, 
and then you can do as you like. You will go with me to my 
house, and I shall take care of you, and none of the police will 
ever look there for you." The dark clouds by this time had 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 257 

rolled off, and the moon's light showed me that we were 
already past the city, which we had left on our right, and were 
now proceeding in the direction of Maldonado. "We shall be 
there presently," said Manuela, in answer to an inquiry from 
me as to the farther length of our ride. 

Day was breaking when we came in sight of a weather- 
blackened wooden building situated on the bank of the river, 
about seven miles below the city. " That is my house," said 
my conductress. We now urged our horses to a gallop, and 
had nearly reached the house, when I was startled by the 
appearance of three horsemen dressed in the uniform of the 
police troop. Yielding to the rein, my horse had already half 
wheeled round, for I had determined to have one more race 
for my liberty, when I heard the words, " Mi hermanos" and 
before I could re-turn my tired steed they were alongside of us, 
and in conversation with the guide, who introduced them to 
me as her brothers. 

If I had wished to escape, my chance would have been 
poor indeed, with three such well-mounted cavaliers in pur- 
suit. They shook hands heartily with me, and we were in 
a few moments on as good terms as if we had been intimately 
acquainted for years. On entering the house, which I found 
to be a Pulperia, one of the men produced a bottle of the 
Catalonian wine in common use in the country, and after 
mutually pledging each other, the brothers remounted their 
horses and rode off to the city* Manuela had told them of 
our adventure and my escape, and they, at her instance, agreed 
to keep me secreted and bring word from the city whether any 
search was made for me. 

Another surprise awaited me. As soon as her brothers 
had left, she held out my purse, knife, comb, and a small spy- 
glass, asking if I knew whose they were, and restoring them to 
me. I took the knife and comb, and begged her to keep the 
rest. But she would not submit to any such arrangement, and 
I was obliged to put them in my pocket. Being much fatigued, 

22* 



258 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

I laid down and slept the greater part of the day. I will not 
recount my dreams, but they were of a very pleasant nature. 

I was aroused by my new and very agreeable protectress, 
who brought caldera, matte, yerba, and sugar, for my refresh- 
ment ; and as this beverage is the common drink of the 
country, I will describe its preparation. The yerba, is a 
product of the province of Paraguay, and is a small shrub, 
from which the smaller twigs, leaves, and bark are taken, 
when they are ground and beaten to a powder. This when 
fresh is of a bright green color, and emits a strong and very 
agreeable aroma, not unlike that of the finest tea. This arti- 
cle, from its common use in almost all parts of South America, 
has become an object of great commercial importance. It is 
packed in bales, formed by two pieces of raw hide sewed to- 
gether with thongs of the same material, which hold about one 
hundred pounds of the yerba. Of these, thousands are annu- 
ally conveyed across the continent on the backs of mules to the 
neighboring republics of Bolivia, Chili, and Peru. In the 
Brazilian empire it is also in immense demand, while in the 
lower provinces of the confederacy it is the sole drink of the 
masses. Its price varies from four ^o eight dollars per aroba 
of twenty-five pounds, according to quality. 

The method of preparing the beverage is peculiar. For 
the full enjoyment of the treat, two things are indispensable — 
i. e. the matte, and bombilia. Among the poorer classes, the 
matte is simply a gourd-shell of about the size of an orange, 
having a small orifice to admit the ingredients. This is partly 
filled, according to the taste of the individual, with yerba, and 
sugar to suit the taste, and boiling water is poured in. The 
bombilia is then inserted. This instrument is a small tube of 
about the size of a pipe-stem, and from six to eight inches in 
length. At the end of the tube intended for insertion, is a small 
hollow ball perforated with holes, through which*the liquid is 
strained. The apparatus being ready, the partaker inserts the 
small end of the tube in his mouth, and the liquid is imbibed 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 259 

by suction. When exhausted, the process of refilling is gone 
through with, and the next person in turn receives the matte 
from the hands of the se'nora, and it is handed round until all 
the company are served. 

Taken in small quantities, I found it healthy and invigor- 
ating ; but steeped and drank in the manner in which we drink 
tea, it operated as a powerful laxative, frequently causing 
dysentery. In the houses of the rich the articles used in pre- 
paring the beverage are of gold or silver, but the same amount 
of enjoyment is open to all. Upon entering a house, whether of 
friend or stranger, the matte is prepared at once and proffered 
to the guest, after which it is usual for some one of the females 
to procure cigarettes, lighting them herself and presenting 
them to those present. All smoke, both male and female. 
The caldera, is simply an iron mug or pitcher for heating water 
for the infusion of the yerba. 

But to return to my story. In obedience to the commands 
of Manuela, who informed me there were a great many peo- 
ple in the Pulperia, which was kept in the front part of the 
house, I remained where I was, and partook of the refresh- 
ments she brought. Her brothers had returned from the city, 
and brought the news that my companions of the ostrich- 
hunt had all been captured, and were now in the Cabilda, and 
that parties had been sent out in every direction to find me 
and my escort. She told me farther, that her brothers were 
very willing to keep me concealed, if they could only be 
assured that her agency in my escape would not be discovered. 
This would be at once surmised, in case my old escort was 
found, and would subject the house to a search. The place 
I was now in was not only a Pulpevia^ but likewise a country 
police station, of which they had charge; and the consequences 
to them would be disastrous in the extreme, should their con- 
nivance at my escape be discovered. 

Manuela did not give me this information in a very calm 
manner, and I saw she had already been taken to task for 



260 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

having anything to do with the Americano. So I told her that 
so far from wishing any harm to them through my agency, 
they might deliver me up if they wished to do so. Eising 
and putting her hands into mine, she gazed into my face, 
and inquired, u Would the people in your country do so V 
I answered that in my country every person had justice 
done them ; but that here almost every one was condemned 
simply because they wanted men for their army. She acknow- 
ledged the truth of what I said, but assured me that if I was 
given up it should never be done with her knowledge. " I 
shall watch for you, do not fear." 

We spent th& evening on the south verandah of the house 
which faced the, 'river, the party consisting of Manuela, her 
three brothers, their mother, and myself. At the distance of 
about four miles^from the shore lay the leviathan outline of the 
United Sates li'he-of-bat -tie-ship Delaware, and we were in- 
tently listening to the strains of her band, which were wafted 
on the gentle breeze from her deck. In reply to the inquiry of 
Manuela, I informed her that the ship belonged to my country, 
giving her an account of the size of the vessel, number of guns, 
men, etc. " Would you like to go on board of that vessel V 9 
asked Don Francisco. I was about to reply, but my little 
guardian, laying her hand upon my arm, put quite another 
question: "Do you sing?*' Forgetting the inquiry of her 
brother for the instant, I answered that I did sometimes. 
Running into the house and returning with a guitar, she handed 
it to Francisco, and desired him to play for us and we would 
sing. At my request, Manuela brought wine, dulces, (a sort of 
confection made of sugar,) and the guava, a tropical fruit ; and 
the three brothers, who I found could be boon companions if 
they chose, were soon in a merry mood. Having learned a 
number of Spanish airs and songs while in New-Orleans, 
which were likewise known by the brothers, I managed, by 
singing with them and taking care to keep up a liberal supply 
of wine, to grow in their good graces, and at a late hour they 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 261 

retired, pledging me their word they would not betray me, and 
that I was welcome to the house and all that it contained, as 
long as I chose to remain. 

The next day Manuela sat beside me in my close quarters, 
making me a complete Gaucho suit of clothes, and amusing 
herself at intervals in teaching me to sing a song which she 
had treated us to the evening before, entitled " El Joven Lan- 
ciero" (The Young Lancer,) in both of which she succeeded ad- 
mirably ; for by night my clothes were almost ready, and I 
could sing the song passably well to her accompaniment on the 
guitar. Had I been immured in the darkest dungeon of the 
Cabilda, I should not have turned an Oriental half as soon as 
I did by the side of Manuela Ramos. 

The evening again found us on the verandah, and after we 
had exchanged greetings, Juan, the elder brother, informed us 
that the first parties sent to seek us having returned unsuccess- 
ful, a still larger number had been sent out that morning, while 
there were a great many surmises and suspicions afloat in the 
city in regard to my character ; some averring that I was a 
spy, sent on shore by Admiral Brown, of the Buenos Ayrean 
fleet at anchor off the harbor, to gather information of what 
was going on, or to carry out some treasonable scheme. This 
was not very comforting to me, and I was fearful my three 
friends might take the same view of the case as regarded my 
being a spy. I had already learned that the whole family I 
was now with were Buenos Ayreans, who had been left behind 
on the flight of Oribe from the country. But if they had any 
suspicions, they took good care not to let me know it. 

Everything went on well. I became a Gaucho^ to all ap- 
pearance, and, in my new dress, did not hesitate to venture 
into the canipo, as the country is called, and fairly began to 
consider myself settled for life. The Gauchos are the native 
population, mixed, in whole or in part, with European blood. 
Their occupation is mostly that of herdsmen. Their costume, 
in which I cut quite a figure, thanks to tlie skill of Manuela, 



262 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

is very picturesque. As mine was a fair sample of the dress 
of those who pretended to gentility, I will describe it. The 
shirt of fine cambric, with fine muslin bosom worked in flowers ; 
the calconciZlas, (pronounced caUonseehjas,) a pair of loose cot- 
ton drawers, fringed at the bottom of the legs ; over these the 
calcones, corresponding to pantaloons, which are usually dis- 
pensed with in warm weather ; the cheeripa is the next in 
order : mine was a small cashmere shawl, doubled and wound 
round my waist, the borders reaching nearly to the knees. To 
show the fine bosom of the shirt, the vest is dispensed with, 
but the jaqueton of red or blue cloth, cut with peaks before 
and behind, trimmed with silk braid, and garnished with as 
many rows of metal buttons as the opulence or taste of the 
wearer may fancy, is never omitted. Over all these is worn 
the poncho of blue broadcloth, lined with crimson or scarlet. 
This garment is circular, closed all round, and donned by stick- 
ing the head through a hole in its centre, where a collar and 
bosom have been formed and garnished with buttons. The 
head is surmounted by a high conical hat of light material, 
close woven, and the feet are encased in raw horse-hide boots, 
fitting tight to the foot, and covering all but the great toe, 
the style of stirrup used in this country making its exposure 
indispensable. 

Horse-flesh being dog-cheap in this country, everybody 
rides. To go a distance of ten rods the Gaucho will mount his 
horse ; and when he is not at home, if perchance he has one, his 
horse is always saddled and ready to be mounted in an instant. 
The spurs worn are a great curiosity, the rowels of which are 
seldom les3 than an inch in length, and are fastened to the heel 
in many instances with silver chains of pounds in weight. 

Such is the Gaucho and his pertainings, and such, in appear- 
ance only, was I. The real simon-pjre character can throw 
the lasso with unerring aim, and that article is always found 
coiled up behind him. I carried one too, at the instance of 
mi amiga Manuela, who, when I refused it, on the ground that 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 263 

I could not use it, replied, laughing " Que soncif (what foolish- 
ness /) no one will know that, if you let it alone ;" an answer, 
by the way, which subjected me to the necessity of treating a 
large company who were in hearing. 

I had heretofore kept away from Montevideo, but my evil 
genius at length put it into my head to venture there. On con- 
sulting my friends, none but Manuela opposed the measure ; 
and her opposition arose simply from the fear that I would get 
on board of some vessel and depart. I succeeded in dispelling 
her anxiety on that score, and the next day I rode into the city 
alone. I returned safely, to the joy of my friends, and another 
week passed, when I again visited the city, and had not been 
there half an hour before I was seized by the police corporal 
who had first been left in charge of me on the occasion of my 
former arrest, and hurried off to the Cabilda. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



Mock trial — The Cabildo — My companions in misfortune — Cockney Sam — 
Re-examination — Conditions of release refused — The blanketing — Im- 
pressment — Col. Dupuy — The quadroon's effort for freedom — Re-cap- 
ture— The Perreira— Lieut. George — Duties— Visit from my friends 
— General Begua — Persuaded to accept the bounty — Jim George's 
advice — He deserts— Gratifications — The blunder — The dreaded change 
effected — Don Martinez— Arming and equipping the brig — Tom Lewis 
— A scene. 

I was arraigned at once, and questioned as to my place of 
nativity, how long I had been in the country, what had been 
my former occupation, how I had got away from my former 
escort, and lastly, what had become of that escort. To all of 
these questions T gave such answers as I thought proper, and 
demanded permission to send a note to Mr. Hamilton, the 



264 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

American consul, and another to Don Poncho Munoz. The 
permission was granted, and I wrote a note to each of those 
gentlemen, stating my situation and requesting their protec- 
tion. These were given to a police soldier to deliver, who 
doubtless took them into another department, where they were 
left for future inspection. I was ordered to the prison, and as 
I passed from the room where the examination had been held, 
my eyes encountered those of Francisco Ramos. His look 
was troubled, and knowing his thoughts, I passed my hand over 
my mouth, and saw at once that it had the effect of relieving 
his fears. The next moment the ponderous doors of this worse 
than infernal place closed upon me, and showed me the ras- 
cally company with whom I was doomed to associate. 

It was lucky for me that Francisco was a pretty daring 
fellow ; for the door was hardly shut before he was at the 
wicket, and I passed everything in my pockets to him, direct- 
ing him to deposit them in the hands of Manuela. I knew he 
would be faithful ; but still, if he was not, I was sure to be 
robbed where I was. With his departure I felt I was cut 
off from all farther hope, and careless of everything, I glanced 
around, and as I did so, the St. Domingo calaboose came to 
my recollection. However, there were among the prisoners 
three others who spoke English. Two of these proved to be 
Americans — one a young man named Towers, belonging to 
Salem, Mass.; the other, William Eobinson, a quadroon. 
These three, the third being an English ship-carpenter named 
Rushton, kept aloof from the other prisoners. They told me 
they had already been blanketed and robbed of all they had, 
and knew not what disposition was to be made of them. They 
had been accused of being drunk, and of abusing a notorious 
fellow commonly called Cockney Sam, who was reputed to be 
an escaped convict from the British penal settlements in the 
Pacific, who had made his way here and established a place of 
resort for seamen for the purpose of decoying them into the 
service of the Government. The greater proportion of the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 265 

prisoners were of the mixed races of the country, a vile and 
abandoned set, covered, from their long imprisonment, with 
rags, filth, and vermin. About noon, a mixed mess of rice and 
beef, stewed together, was served out to this crew, who, not- 
withstanding the questionable appearance of the compound, 
appeared to devour it with evident gusto ; but the bare sight 
of it was enough for me. 

Fortunately my imprisonment in this place was not to be 
of long duration. Towards the middle of the afternoon I was 
again summoned to the room in which my previous examina- 
tion was held, where my discharge was proffered on condition 
of joining the service as a volunteer, twenty-four dollars as 
bounty being offered at the same time ; and, as a farther induce- 
ment, a promise was given to advance my position on board as 
soon as possible, the situation of quarter-master being /the only 
one they could then offer. These concessions seemed to justify 
a faint hope in my mind that they would be obliged to give me 
my liberty, and after a little reflection I declined their offers. 
Finding me averse to serving on board of the squadron, they 
offered the same post in the revenue service. This I also 
declined, and was remanded to prison. 

I expected to be made the subject of a demonstration among 
the convicts, as soon as the darkness of the place would serve 
to prevent detection, While daylight remained I had kept in 
company with the three prisoners before mentioned, entirely 
separated from the others, who, as the evening shades began 
to render objects less distinct, gradually drew nearer to the 
corner of the room, which during the day they had partly 
given up to us. As is common in prisons, a banquette was 
raised around the sides of the room for the sleeping accommo- 
dations of the inmates. The possession of a part of this was 
the plea for their approach ; but I knew their real motive, and 
conscious there was no escape, instead of avoiding them, I threw 
myself in their way. I had retained about a dollar and 
a half, with a view to this operation, a propitiation or offering 

23 



266 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

in these cases being as indispensable as those required by the 
heathen gods. Woe betide the wretch so unfortunate as to 
have an empty pocket, upon his introduction to such a frater- 
nity. I have in many instances known them to be kicked and 
beaten to an extent, that rendered their recognition impossible 
even to their own relatives. They appeared to comprehend my 
views upon the subject, as I judged from the extreme gentleness 
of the handling I received at their hands, as well as from 
several commendatory expressions which unguardedly fell from 
their lips, and by which I could easily have detected those 
who uttered them, if it would have served any good purpose. 
We were now left at peace by ourselves ; and my companions 
having disposed themselves to sleep, I endeavored to do the 
same. But no repose could come to my eyelids in such a place 
as this, and I remained awake, vainly endeavoring to conjecture 
the probable termination of my disagreeable situation. 

About midnight the unbolting of the door roused me from 
my speculations, and looking up, I discovered some two dozen 
of the soldiers of the Policia, who were already waking the 
sleepers with the points of their bayonets. The uproar this 
occasioned was indescribable, and curses and kicks were freely 
bestowed in every direction. These ceased with the entrance 
of my former examiner, Col. Dupuy, an officer of the national 
marine. At the order of this person I arose, and my wrists 
were decorated, by his direction, with a pair of iron bracelets, 
after which I was escorted into the outer hall, where I was 
soon joined by the colonel, and a selection of the other prisoners 
to the number of twenty-five, among whom I noticed my three 
fellow-prisoners, Towers, Robinson, and Rushton. We were 
at once conducted into the street, where we were surrounded 
by the soldiers and marched to the mole. 

;t Our destination is plain enough now, boys," I remarked 
as the barge pulled to the stairs. " I know /where mine is," 
said Robinson. Before I could turn to inquire the meaning 
of his words, the sound of a heavy blow, accompanied by a 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 267 

muttered curse, sounded in my ears, I caught sight of Robin- 
son, as he sprang from the mole into the water, while the 
guard at the same instant measured his length upon the planks, 
where he lay stunned for a moment. An officer jumped into 
the boat, which put off in pursuit as soon as as possible, and 
they succeeded, after a long, and baffling chase, in securing 
the fugitive, who, contrary to my expectations, was protected 
from the vengeance of the soldiers by the colonel, who com- 
plimented him as an " hombre may Bravissima" (a very brave 
man,) but cautioned him against any farther exhibition of his 
prowess. 

We now entered the barge .and shoved off. We stopped 
alongside of the brig of war in the inner harbor, and I was 
ordered on board, when my wrists were relieved from their 
unpleasant garnishing, and Col, Dupuy gave me to understand 
that the duties of quartermaster would be required of me, 
telling me thai the bounty of twenty-five dollars was ready for 
my acceptance whenever I saw fit to accept it. He then left, 
taking the rest of the men with him. I was now introduced 
to the ward-room, or steerage of the vessel, by an American, 
a lieutenant in the service, w^hose name on the roll was James 
George, a native of New- York, From him I learned that the 
vessel was kept as a guarda costa at present, and was under 
the direction of Gen. Begua. According to his account they 
enjoyed a merry life on board of the Perreira, (the name of the 
vessel, ) and he advised me strongly to take the bounty-money, 
as my refusing to do so would only result in my own injury. 
Orders had already been given to prevent my communicating 
with the consul, and it did not take me long to perceive that 
they were well executed. I quietly acquiesced in these proceed- 
ings, the only duty required of me, being the care of the sig- 
nals, and the hoisting and lowering of the flag. 

On the second day after being attached to this vessel, I 
w r as delighted by the appearance of Manuela and her three 
brothers, who, under a pretext of visiting the vessel, came on 



268 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

board, and, according to the opinion of Mr. George, made the 
acquaintance of the new quartermaster (myself) with wonder- 
ful celerity. However, he was not very curious to learn the 
state of affairs, and I was allowed to have things pretty much 
as I pleased. There were but about eighteen men on board, 
and the officers were still more limited in number ; Lieut. 
George, a Manilla man named Francisco, who was boatswain, 
and myself, being the principal officers in charge of the vessel. 
The lieutenant occupied the cabin, the boatswain took the 
forecastle, and the ward-room had been given up to me, while 
the crew occupied the berth-deck in the hold. My friends ex- 
pressed great sorrow at my unlucky capture, and Manuela for 
a long while remained unpacified. 

During the afternoon Gen. Begua and Col. Dupuy came 
on board and made the discovery of our acquaintance, and 
again pressed me to accept the bounty and sign the papers ot 
the vessel, promising to let me go on shore as often as my duty 
would allow, and stipulating that I should have nothing to do 
with the squadron of Commodore Coe, which was separate and 
distinct from their branch of the service. In conjunction with 
these representations came the entreaties of Manuela and her 
brothers, who promised to exert all their influence to advance 
my interests and prevent any deception. " We have a particu- 
lar reason, 5 ' observed the General, " for wishing to obtain you 
as a volunteer. There is a great deal of smuggling carried on 
in the port, and we have found it necessary at times to keep 
boats at particular points to detect the agents engaged in the 
business ; consequently your own good sense will enable you 
to perceive, that we must be sure of the man to whom we 
assign a share in this business. We endeavor, likewise, to re- 
munerate those engaged, according to their success, independent 
of their monthly pay." He then spoke as to the ease with 
which they could have conveyed me to the vessels of the 
squadron, where he assured me my situation would be far less 
agreeable than it was at present, and vaguely hinted that such 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 269 

a course would have been the best, from present appearances. 
This information was given in a sort of confidential undertone 
by the officer, which was heard, however, by my friends, who, 
frightened at the hint, now pressed me harder than ever to 
accept the proffered terms. Finding it of no farther use to 
hold out, and fearful they might put their covert threat into 
execution, I accepted the money and signed the paper which 
bound me to the service, and permission was given for me to 
go and come whenever off duty. 

I could have enjoyed the manner of life I now entered upon 
had I been sure it would have lasted ; but I had been told by 
George that the brig belonged to the squadron, and had only 
been temporarily placed at the disposal of the port officers. 
At the time of his making this known he gave me a hint, not 
properly understood by me then, of his intention to quit the 
service, which, as no resignations were accepted, he would be 
obliged to do clandestinely ; and he advised me to watch nar- 
rowly the signs of the times. During the next week he left 
the country in the British bark Amy, of Exeter. 

For five weeks I was employed almost nightly in rowing 
guard in the harbor ; but I was not successful in securing any 
great prize. Upon one occasion my boat's crew captured a 
small launch loaded with foreign fruit, upon which I received 
what the colonel designated a gratification in the sum of twenty 
patac nes (dollars. ) The vessel, since the flight of Jim George, 
was almost wholly in my charge, and I found but little chance 
to make any farther excursions to the residence of my friends. 
I was compensated for this, however, by their constant visits 
to me on board. 

A laughable occurrence happened to me about this time, 
which had nearly got me into a scrape. As I have before said, 
the brig was anchored within hail of the mole. On Sundays 
I usually hoisted the best suit of colors on board. The flag 
of Uruguay displays the sun in a white field in the upper 
canton, and the rest blue and white stripes alternately. It was 

23* 



270 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Sunday morning, and while the men were swabbing the deck, 
I had taken the flag from the signal-locker, and laid it upon 
the round-house. Col. Dupuy, who was on board, had been 
overhauling the contents of the locker, and after satisfying his 
curiosity, he proceeded to make fast the flag to the halliards. 
We usually hoisted it rolled up in a small compass, and hitched 
by a slip-knot, which yielded to a slight pull and disengaged 
the flag, allowing it to stretch out with the wind. All this 
had been attended to by the colonel, who had gone into the 
cabin to enjoy his coffee. 

The sun now appeared above the horizon, and I ran up 
the flag, broke the knot, and without once looking up at the 
bandara de la republican made fast the halliard and went below. 
In about three-quarters of an hour a number of voices sum- 
moned me on deck, with the information that Gen. Begua was 
hailing the vessel from the mole. Springing up and turning 
my eyes in that direction, I beheld it crowded with a large 
concourse of people and soldiers, at the front of whom the old 
General was stamping and gesticulating like a madman. His 
eye fell upon me the moment I appeared, and the command, 
" Arriere esta bandara /" (lower that flag!) came fiercely over 
the water. My eye glanced upward at the peak, where I 
beheld, to my great consternation, the Buenos Ayrean flag 
waving its folds lazily in the breeze before the astonished gaze 
of half the population of Montevideo,, and a party of troops 
were already busy with the guns upon* the ramparts of Fort 
San Jose, within musket-shot distance. I lost no time in 
repairing the mistake, and the Oriental flag being substituted, 
the crowds gradually disappeared, and after a violent scolding 
from the General, whose wrath was somewhat mollified towards 
me by the colonel's owning his agency in the affair, the matter 
was dropped and everything went on smoothly again. 

It was now about the first of June — the commencement of 
winter in this country. My duty of rowing guard at night 
was becoming unpleasant, and I was sure of nothing more 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 271 

lucrative or agreeable than cold fingers, until the return of 
warm weather. One evening about the 2d or 3d of June, I 
was getting ready to proceed upon my usual nightly round, 
when I was surprised by the appearance of four boats filled 
with men from the vessels of the squadron. The officer in 
charge of these, a very gentlemanly person named Martinez, 
informed me that no farther boat-duty was required of me, and 
that the vessel was to be got ready for service immediately, and 
in furtherance of these orders he was going to move the vessel 
at once to a berth near the squadron. In answer to my 
representations, he assured me that next morning he would 
make every exertion to procure my release or removal from 
the vessel, a demand which he frankly told me, however, would 
be useless, as I had already been turned over to the command 
of Don Jose Garibaldi, who had been appointed to take charge 
of an armed expedition, the object of which was yet a secret 
to all save its projectors. This was a great damper upon my 
projects, and I anxiously waited for daybreak. 

There was no sleep on board of the Perreira that night. 
The vessel was moved to the man-of-war anchorage, and the 
work of arming and equipping her went forward without 
cessation. The morning light brought with it the new com- 
mander appointed for the cruise. Though not very sanguine 
of success, I stated my case to him, and requested him to speak 
to Gen. Requa and remind him of his promise. He promised 
to do so, and really fulfilled his promise, as I afterwards ascer- 
tained; but when* the note from the General was received on 
board at noon, it only stipulated for the release of Francisco, 
the former boatswain. 

I now began to observe preparations in progress. The brig 
was a fine vessel of about two hundred tons' burthen, full-rigged, 
and by this time manned, as some eighty men were already on 
board. Two circles had been laid upon the deck between 
the masts, upon which a squad of carpenters were now fitting 
gun-slides, and carriages and launches were continually coming 



272 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

alongside, laden with shot, powder, and provisions in great 
quantities. All was activity and bustle: the anchors, chains, 
sails, and rigging were overhauled, and finally the guns were 
brought and at once mounted on their carriages. These 
were two long 18-pounders for pivot-guns, and four short- 
twelves. By nightfall the vessel was crowded with a mixed 
mass of provisions and naval stores of every description. 
Night brought no cessation to the labor, and the ship's com- 
pany, divided into two watches^ worked and slept alternately. 

In this labor I had no hand. I was ordered by the com- 
mander to retain my post as quartermaster, at the same time 
appointing me an assistant in the person of a young man of the 
name of Thomas Lewis, who had filled the same post on board 
of the Veintecinco de Mayo, and who was destined to be my 
constant friend and companion through my period of service to 
the Orientals. 

Tom was a native of Prince Edward's Island, on the coast 
of British America, and a noble, whole-hearted fellow. We 
were mutually pleased with our introduction, and at once ad- 
mitted each other into full confidence. He knew more of the 
Oriental Government than I did, and succeeded in a very short 
time in setting my mind at rest on the subject of getting 
on shore again very soon. Had there been less activity around 
me I might have had an attack of the blues, but Tom's ever- 
cheerful voice drove away the ugly phantoms ere they could 
fasten on me, and at the expiration of the fourth day after 
the brig's transfer to the squadron, everything was in readi- 
ness for our expedition. 

Up to this time no boats except those belonging to the ser- 
vice had been allowed to come alongside ; consequently, al- 
though I had seen my friends at a distance, I had not as yet 
had any opportunity to communicate with them, farther than 
to apprise them that after the vessel was ready for sailing the 
prohibition would be taken off. The first notice to this effect 
was obtained from the captain of the port, and within an hour 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 273 

mi amiga Mannda was leaning upon my shoulder on the deck 
of the brig. The little gipsy scolded and blustered away at 
the officers, to the amusement of the whole ship's company, 
and Manuel el Tort — so called from being disfigured by the 
loss of an eye — remarked that if it lay in his power he would 
send us both on shore together. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Manuel el Tort — Discipline — The Frenchman's joke — Inability of the 
Government to pay the men — Spanish bombast — The gratification — 
Adieu to my friends — Yain wishes — Arana in good humor — The carousal 
— Departure of the expedition from Montevideo — The Constitution — 
Don Jose Garribaldi — The Perreira — TheEsperanza — Aggregate force 
of the squadron— Disguises— Martin Garcia— The enemy suspect our 
character — Signals — Prepare for action — Forcing the passage — Heavy 
cannonade — Demoniac bearing of Arana — The passage eflected — The 
Constitution aground — Appearance of the enemy's squadron — 'Extent 
of damage — Killed and wounded in our late conflict. 

Manuel de Arana,' surnamed el Tort, was the new com- 
mander of the Perreira. He was an native of Old Spain, and 
had it not been for the loss of his eye he would have been a 
nob!e*-looking man ; but the extinguished organ of vision ren- 
dered the expression of his countenance absolutely hideous ; 
otherwise his features and form were very good, his height ex- 
ceeding six feet. It was said he had been engaged in the 
Carlist revolution in Old Spain, at the termination of which 
he had fled to Buenos Ayres, and entered the service of that 
Government as a captain of artillery. Here by some means he 
fell into disgrace, and in a difficulty with his superiors his eye 
was destroyed. This indignity had transformed the man into 
a demon. He deserted their service for that of the Orientals, 



274 WIXD OATS SOWINGS. 

and had already proved his hatred to his former employers, to 
whom even his name had become a source of terror. He drank 
to excess, and when inebriated, reminded me of the accounts I 
had read of the Malays or Javanese " running a muck," at 
which times they will destroy in their madness all who come 
in their way, unless forcibly restrained. When perfectly sober, 
which unfortunately was seldom the case, the captain was very 
kind, and, if not too far gone, was proud of the two dozen 
American and English sailors he had under his command, who 
were preferred above all others. Nothing pleased him so well 
as to listen to the Ingleses, (the common designation of all who 
spoke English,) who, after the duties of the vessel were termi- 
nated, would congregate upon the berth-deck and join in sing- 
ing the songs of their native land. At these times he would 
stand by the hour and listen to their melodies, for we had some 
good singers on board, and they not unfrequently prolonged 
their social sittings to a late hour, stimulated by means of 
sundry bottles of aquadiente, which were conveyed to them 
through the medium of the steward. 

The system of discipline enforced on board of the Perreira 
was but little better than that on board of a merchantman, 
some little regard being had, however, to the stationing of the 
men. No flogging was ever attempted, and the men, even 
those who were foreign to the country, strove to vie with the 
Commodore's vessel in handling the guns, sails, etc., of the brig. 
We were now ready for our cruise, and but one subject occu- 
pied the attention of the men : this was in regard to their pay. 
The term of service of most of the men now on board varied 
from six months to two years, for the most of which time they 
had received no remuneration. Whether the Government had 
the subject under consideration or not it was hard to say ; but 
an old Frenchman of rather eccentric manners, who likewise 
possessed the peculiar gift of* cutting profiles of almost every 
object in paper, cut the figure of a clock and tacked it to the 
mainmast of the Constitution, (the Commodore's vessel,) with 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 275 

this inscription : " When this clock strikes twelve, the patrie 
(country) pays," in derision of the many times which had been 
appointed by the Government to pay the men their wages. 

This attracted the attention of a large party of Govern- 
ment officers, who visited and inspected the ship, creating much 
merriment ; and before departing they appointed the next day 
to deliver to each of the men a gratification, or present. As 
to paving the men, they were so far in arrears that the bare 
idea was preposterous. The Government was already bank- 
rupt, as is usually the case with all South American Govern- 
ments. All the money they can get hold of they use to cover 
a system made up of fraud and oppression, the whole weight 
of which falls upon the peaceable and well-disposed citizens — 
all to support the dignity of some ambitious military chieftain. 
I know of nothing more ridiculous than to hear the accred- 
ited ministers of such Governments while in the United States 
commenting upon this or that subject as disgraceful or dis- 
honorable, when it is well understood that in the land of their 
nativity scarcely the meaning of the terms are known, although 
in frequent use. In fact, the persons in power in the southern re- 
publics regard the lower classes as but little better than brutes, 
and order them to instant execution for the most trivial offenses, 
perfectly regardless of the claims of humanity, and exceeding 
in tyranny the veriest despots of Europe. The next day, the 
Patrie, according to previous agreement, presented to the crews 
of the three vessels destined for the expedition,, the gratification, 
in sums varying according to rank from ten to fifty patacones, 
accompanied by two suits of clothing for every man, with the 
injunction to take great care of them, as it was uncertain what 
would be the length of our stay at the place of our destination. 

Manuela, by my direction., as well as from her own wishes, 
had made every effort with the assistance of her brothers, to 
learn the object of this sudden movement of the Oriental 
Government, but their endeavors were all in vain. They had 
surmised, however, that our squadron was destined to reinforce 



276 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the naval station at Paysandieu, in the Rio Uruguay, some 
three hundred miles above Montevideo. This was to he the 
last interview with my friends, as we were to shift our berth 
that night, preparatory to receiving our sailing orders. As 
an especial favor, therefore, Don Manuel permitted them to 
remain on board until the very last moment. By nine in the 
evening we had taken up our position in the centre of the fleet 
of merchantmen, and the sails being furled, the vessel was 
deserted by the busy crowd which had so recently thronged it, 
none but the sentries and myself occupying the deck. If I 
could only swim ; or could slip something overboard sufficiently 
buoyant to float me ! I cast my eyes around the deck, but 
nothing but heavy spars met my eye. These were not to be 
thought of, and there was nothing else, not even a hen-coop, 
and we were but four or five lengths of the vessel from the 
shore 

I recollected the time when I had been able to swim a few 
strokes, and had almost determined to make the attempt, when 
the figure of a man darkened the companion-way of the cabin. 
It was Arana. " Que tal muchacho como vamos f ' (How is it, 
boy ? how do you get along ?) I answered that all was right. 
After looking around for a moment, he returned to the cabin, 
and calling me to him, filled the glasses all round, most of the 
officers being present; and all raising their glasses, he pro- 
nounced in a loud voice, "1 las memorias de su quirida Maaaela 
chiquita" (To the memory of your dear little Manuela.) 
This sally of their commander set the cabin in a roar, and the 
fun among them became so uproarious that the after-part of 
the vessel resembled a bedlam. This fracas brought my con- 
ductor up on deck, and as I could not compromise his safety, 
my intentions of escaping were frustrated. 

The Argentine fleet at this time had disappeared, and word 
had been brought that they were overhauling and refitting in 
the port of Buenos Ayres, thus affording an excellent oppor- 
tunity for the Orientals to make a demonstration in that quar- 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 277 

ter. What its ultimate object was, remains to be seen. Our 
orders were at length received, and on the morning of the 1 8th 
of June, 184.2, we weighed the anchors and filled away to 
join our consorts, who were already outside the harbor. As 
we passed the French brig of war Arethusa, then at anchor in 
the inner roads, they saluted us with three cheers, and in a 
short time we had left the city far behind in the distance. 

The breeze was fair and fresh, and while our little squad- 
ron are plowing their way through the muddy water of the La 
Plata, I will endeavor to give some description of it. The 
Commodore's vessel was a fine bark, mounting eighteen guns, 
with a large crew, numbering, including supernumaries, three 
hundred men, a large proportion of whom were intended 
to arm and man a number of vessels now laid up in the river 
ports. The flag -ship was called the Constitution, Her com- 
mander, and the chief of the squadron, as I have before men- 
tioned, was Don Jose Garibaldi, an Italian adventurer in the 
Oriental service. At this time he bore the military rank of 
colonel, and proved his valor to the satisfaction of all under 
his command. The brig Perreira, on board of which I was 
to serve, mounted six guns, two of them mounted on pivots, 
which rendered her armament equivalent to eight guns. With 
her commander Arana the reader is already acquainted. The 
third vessel was a large clipper-built schooner called the 
Esperanza, mounting four short-twelves. This vessel was 
under the command of Don Martinez, our first lieutenant. 
The aggregate force of the three vessels was twenty-eight 
guns, and four hundred men and officers. 

We made good progress, and during the passage, succeeded 
in transforming the Constitution into a ship, by the addition 
of a mizen-topsail, etc. In addition to this, in order to deceive 
the enemy still farther, a couple of strips of red bunting was 
tacked around the bends of the vessels, to give the appearance 
of the two red stripes usually painted on the hulls of the ene- 
my's ships ; and to complete the disguise, our own colors were 

24 



278 WILD Oats sowings. 

lowered, and the flag of the enemy substituted in its place. 
These operations excited my curiosity not a little, although 1 
perfectly understood their import. 

After running out of sight of the mount, the Commodore 
appeared to be less in a hurry to get along than formerly, so 
that it was four p. m the next day when we came to anchor, 
in a heavy squall from the south-west, in front of the island 
and fortress of Martin. Garcia, which commands the entrance 
to the two great livers Parana and Uruguay. At sundown, the 
squall having passed over, we received an intimation that our 
dodge was discovered, by a succession of minute-guns, which 
we felt certain was intended to give notice at Buenos Ayres of 
our appearance. These were fired from the fort, which crested 
the top of the island. All were on the alert for the signal of 
the Commodore to get under way, but night approached us 
without the expected orders, and Arana chafed like a wounded 
tiger at the delay, and finally, as was usual when anything dis- 
pleased him, he passed the night in a drunken revel. 

We were on deck early the next morning awaiting the 
motions of the Commodore, who at length signaled us to go 
to breakfast. But the time allowed for the meal was short, 
and long ere it was dispatched, the signal to get under way 
and prepare for action was displayed at the mizzen of the 
Constitution. In an instant the breakfast was deserted, and 
.in little less than half the time occupied by our chief we were 
under way and standing for the pass. The Commodore evi- 
dently was not a man to do things in a hurry ; but by the time 
we drew the first shot from the enemy, he was coming up in 
good style. 

We now had the promise of hot work. At a signal from 
the Commodore, the enemy's flag was hauled down and the 
Oriental's hoisted. This was the order for general action, and 
being now within the range of our long guns/ we opened our 
fire. The wind was light, and our courses being up, it was 
doubtful for a few moments whether we could bring the vessels 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 279 

into the pass; but presently we observed the easterly breeze 
swelling the sails of the Constitution, and in a moment it reached 
us and we gathered headway, and in ten minutes more we 
were hammering away at the fort and batteries, within musket- 
shot, and still fast lessening the distance between us and the 
en*_-my The garrison of both fort and batteries worked their 
guns well, cutting up our rigging and hulling us repeatedly. 
Arana was in his glory ; standing upon the trunk in full view 
of the enemy, with his naked sword waving in circles around 
his head, his hatred to them found full vent in the most bitter 
revilings and taunts, some of which were worthy of a fiend. 

We were now in the most difficult part of the passage. 
Being the first to enter it, Arana swore he would be the last 
to leave it ; and within half pistol-shot of the whole force 
of the enemy, the topgallant-sails were let run and clewed 
up, and the brig remained almost stationary, giving the Con- 
stitution the chance to take the lead. That vessel, as she 
passed, seemed on fire, so constant was the stream of flame 
from her guns. The Esperanza now came up and delivered 
the fire of her carronades, which, however, could have done 
but little execution, as the fortifications were very strong, and 
we again made sail. 

It was necessary to keep the lead going, and my station 
had been in the weather-quarter boat, a post from which, 
though somewhat exposed, I could command an excellent view 
of all that was going on. Three times during the cannonading 
we drove the enemy from the batteries, and our shot told with 
great effect on the principal fort, which at one time was com- 
pletely silenced. But in spite of our success, I could not sup- 
press the conviction that had there been a few good men in 
the fort, our vessels would have been blown out of water by 
them. After we had safely passed, the enemy kept feeling for 
us at long shot, but did not fire with any precision ; and our 
Commodore not thinking it worth while to return their com- 
pliments, no farther notice was taken of them. 



280 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

In two hours, with a light wind in our favor, we had gaine3 
a distance of about six miles from the fort, when to our dis- 
may we beheld the progress of the Constitution checked. 
The Commodore had kept the lead ever since we left the fort, 
and a half a glance told us the ship was aground. Almost 
simultaneously with this disaster, a couple of large brigs made 
their appearance below the fort. These new-comers were the 
Belgrano and General Echagua brigs of war, belonging to the 
Buenos Ayrean navy. A worse misfortune could not have 
befallen us at this time. The most strenuous efforts were put 
forth to release the vessel from her peril, and the Esperanza 
was brought alongside, and commenced taking out her shot and 
some of the heaviest of her stores. In the meanwhile we im- 
proved the time to repair the damage we had sustained from 
the fire of the enemy. Our spars and rigging were soon put 
in good order, none of the former having been badly damaged. 
Our starboard broadside had been battered somewhat, as I 
counted the marks of twenty-one round shot ; all, however, 
above the water-line, though one had very nearly succeeded in 
knocking two of the midship ports into one. We had been 
very fortunate, not having lost a man, and only one slightly 
wounded. On board of the Constitution there were three 
killed and seven wounded, of whom two died of their wounds. 
On board of the schooner one was killed and two wounded ; 
which, considering all of the circumstances, was a far less 
number of casualities than we had a right to expect. On 
board of the squadron w r e fired five hundred round-shot at the 
fort and batteries, the damage to which must have been very 
considerable. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 281 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

The escape — Entering the Parana — The Argentine admiral duped — The 
compliments of the belligerents — Oriental conclusion — The capture — 
Severe labors — Good fellowship — Delightful scenery — The Partilla — 
Confidence restored — Entre Rios — Ban} ■ ous — A night-attack — Our posi- 
tion — The object of our expedition — Fickleness of the natives — San 
Nicholas— The prisoner liberated San Pedro — The midnight foray — 
A welcome supply — The convent — Santa Rosario — Friendly reception 
— Obtain supplies. 

By the time the schooner had got alongside of the Com- 
modore, the wind having hauled round to the westward and 
falling calm, the enemy's vessels were compelled to come to 
anchor outside of the fort. Towards night the fogs of the 
marshes came sweeping down, completely enshrouding us in 
their friendly obscurity, and once more we were in hopes of 
being able to elude our pursuers. Had there been but these 
two vessels to contend with, we would not have regarded them 
for a moment ; but the signal of their attack would have been 
but an introductory to the appearance of a half score of others, 
which we knew were by this time at no great distance ; and we 
afterwards ascertained that on the next morning, instead of 
the two vessels within sight of our recent anchorage, there 
were no less than seven. But it was decreed that we were to 
escape for the present. By dint of great exertions the ship 
was got afloat about eight p. m ; and having no time to spare, 
the squadron at once set sail, and under cover of the fog, 
with our leads continually in requisition, we proceeded on our 
course. We had the benefit of a fine wind, and meeting with 
no farther accident or delay, the morning light found us thread- 
ing our dubious way among the evergreen islands of the Parana. 
The fog disappeared about nine a. m., and showed a clear track 
both ahead and astern. 

The enemy had been deceived^ The Buenos Ayrean Admi» 

24* 



282 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

ral supposed we had entered the Uruguay, which led along the 
Montevideon coast, whereas we were now in the Parana, a river 
completely under the control of the Argentines, where they never 
dreamed the Orientals would have the hardihood to attempt to 
enter. Hence the bare idea of such a thing was scouted by the 
long-headed Admiral of the Rio de la Plata, who made prepa- 
rations to pursue the daring invaders up the Uruguay. 

I had a very good opportunity, during our passage of the 
fort, to learn the manner in which these illustrious nations 
bandy compliments. The Orientals saluted their enemies as 
the slaves of Rosas, that dignitary being the -head of the Argen- 
tine Government ; and " Viva el Presidente del Republica Oriental , 
Mueran los esclavos de Rosas" from the lips of our commander 
and his officers, was responded to by the Argentines in the 
same amiable spirit, with " Viva la confederation Argentina, 
Mueran los Salvages Unitarios" Thus with my compatriots 
hurling death to the slaves of Rosas, and they in return 
threatening us with death, as a horde of united savages, I came 
to the conclusion that if I escaped from them without being 
hung, drawn,, and quartered, I should have no cause to com- 
plain. With this view of the case, I determined to make 
myself as comfortable as I could under the circumstances, and 
leave the rest to Providence. 

I was not altogether averse to the exciting scenes of battle ; 
on the contrary, I began to long to hear again the deep-toned 
thunder of our pivot-guns, and I should have been frightened 
could I have foretold how thoroughly this feeling would grow 
upon me in so short a time. In conversation with my com- 
rade Tom Lewis, I found that he shared my feelings, and had 
arrived at about the same conclusion as myself. But Tom had 
gone a step farther, for said he, laughing, " You know the old 
story, that ' a man is known by the company he keeps ;' there- 
fore as the enemy are not given to much reflection, and in case 
we are taken we shall probably fare about as well as the worst, 
I've concluded to fight my way with the rest until I can better 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 283 

myself." I endorsed this part of Tom's code of rules, and as the 
probability was strong that there- would be some picarooning 
before long, we decided upon not going with any parties 
unless allowed to go together, volunteers being usually wanted 
upon such occasions. 

Well, we were in the enemy's river, and did not know but 
that the whole Argentine fleet were at our heels. It conse- 
quently behoved us to be continually on the alert. Therefore 
every inch of canvas which could be spread to advantage was 
packed on the spars, and every effort possible was made to 
accelerate the speed of the vessels. During the first day in the 
river we captured a very large clinker-built launch, commonly 
called a baleinero, in English a whaleboat, but large, carrying 
easily some three or four tons of salt. As it would not do to 
let her pass on and betray our whereabouts to the enemy, we 
took her with us, much to the chagrin of the worthy patrone, 
who begged hard to be let off, but in vain, and the poor 
fellow succumbed to the unfortunate necessity of his situation 
with a long phiz and the most woeful lamentations. 

A new and arduous species of labor commenced with the 
failing of the wind. This was warping the vessels from one 
island to another,, a duty which under ordinary circumstances 
would not have failed to produce much grumbling. But our 
position was critical, and the men toiled with untiring patience^, 
aware that our safety depended on their exertions. From the 
moment we learned that we had entered the Parana, a bond 
of union seemed to have sprung up among the whole ship's 
company, induced by the knowledge that nothing but united 
action would carry us safely through the present enterprise ; 
and the native Orientals, usually held in light estimation by 
the foreigners in the service, were at once admitted to the 
highest degree of consideration in the confraternity Inglese^ 
and the utmost good feeling prevailed.. 

Our course was tortuous in the extreme, in many cases 
being almost obliged to double on our track j while in some 



284 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

of the reaches the wind would be fair, affording at times a 
respite of from one hour to half a day in duration. In this way 
we continued for five days, during which we did not gain over 
an average of twenty-five miles per day. But we now began 
to approach a more open part of the river, and the islands, 
too, assumed a different feature. Heretofore they had been 
low and swampy, and covered with dense jungles, in which we 
frequently at night heard the yell of the puma or South 
American tiger. Now they reposed in beauty upon the bosom 
of the magnificent river, rising in gentle knolls, covered with 
trees of the growth of centuries, whose stately forms threw 
their shadows far out upon the sunny waters. 

We had not got a sight of the coast of Entre Rios as yet, 
but we had exchanged compliments with a small partilla of 
Argentine cavalry who foolishly galloped to the bank of the 
river, and brandishing their swords at us, described the elegant 
manner in which they would use us up if they could only reach 
us. To try their pluck, an 18-pound shot was fired at them, 
which struck pretty near the squad, when they took to their 
heels, and scampered off before the salute could be repeated. 
One of the party, more frightened than the rest, threw himself 
from his horse and ran off on foot, doubtless supposing that 
the smaller the object he presented to the aim of our gunner, 
the less chance was there of getting hit. 

The bank of the river upon the Buenos Ayrean side was 
now gradually growing higher as w r e progressed, and in a few 
days more we could not, as formerly, command a view of the 
campo from the vessel. But the river was more open, and the 
islands of greater extent, and we were enabled to keep under sail 
most of the time. Besides, having neither seen nor heard 
anything of the enemy, we began to have more confidence in 
our prospects, and all on board were in the highest spirits. At 
length our course led us along the coast of -Entre Eios, and 
among innumerable islands which skirted it. These islands 
are said to contain immense natural peach-orcharcls, where 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 285 

that luscious fruit grows in the greatest profusion and in every 
variety, affording a lucrative employment to the river traders 
when the fruit is in season, who load their vessels with it, 
and find a ready market and good prices in the commercial 
emporium. m 

The Entre Rios (in English, between the rivers) is a narrow 
peninsula which separates the Parana from the Uruguay. It 
contains a great number of lakes of various magnitudes, which 
are said to be formed wholly from the draining of the land and 
the filtration of the waters of the Parana. This barrier to the 
union of the two streams widens so very gradually, that at the 
distance of four hundred miles above the confluence of the two 
rivers their distance apart is about seventy miles, more than 
one half of which is occupied by the immense swamps, called 
by the natives banyou?, formed by the great Lake Caracanes, 
which are passable at certain times of the year. This terri- 
tory occupied the position of the confederated provinces, and 
at that time gave the Buenos Ayreans their cordial support to 
whatever measures w r ere set on foot by Governor Eosas. 
Knowing this, we deemed it necessary to keep as good a look- 
out upon the right bank of the river as w r e had done on the left ; 
but nothing of interest presented itself. Altering our course 
again, we returned to the Buenos Ayrean side of the river, 
where we were continually watched by small companies of 
cavalry, who were particularly careful, most of the time, to 
keep out of the range of our long guns. Our commander left 
no opportunity unimproved to express his kind wishes towards 
them through an iron messenger, which invariably occasioned 
a precipitate retreat, affording us much amusement. 

Our course, since we had entered the river, had been about 
N. N. W., and the most of the winds from the south and east 
had been light, while those from the direction we were going 
were strong and chilly, frequently obliging us to moor our ves- 
sels under the shelter of some one *f the islands during their 
continuance. We already began to long for something more 



286 WILD OATS SOWINGS, 

exciting than the monotonous creeping under a cloud of can- 
vas at the rate of a mile an hour, or blowing our fingers, chilled 
to icicles by wet warps. The men were nearly worn out, and 
could not be persuaded to put forth all their energies, as 
they had done heretofore ; and it was at last determined by 
the Commodore to bring the vessels to anchor, and grant the 
men a respite from their unwonted labors. In pursuance of 
this arrangement, our anchors were dropped beyond musket- 
range of the bank, and the sails being furled, an anchor-watch 
was stationed, and the balance of the ship's company were 
dismissed from duty, with the injunction to sleep with one eye 
open. 

It was the constant duty of one of the quartermasters to 
be up on deck, and I had relieved my mate at sundown. 
Night had closed around us, but the evening was clear, and 
objects could easily be distinguished on shore. I was lazily 
lounging over the quarter-rail of the brig, with my hand on 
the lead-line to assure myself of her stationary position, when 
a bright flash upon the nearest point of the bank suddenly 
illuminated the atmosphere, and on the instant the rushing 
shot buried itself in the stout oaken sheathing of the vessel 
just under the main channels. Another and another followed 
in rapid succession, hulling us at every discharge and sending 
a shower of splinters in all directions, badly wounding a num- 
ber of our men, who, roused by the uproar, were now tum- 
bling upon the deck with loud cheers. The pivot-guns being 
cast loose, they were pointed for the spot marked by the last 
flash of the enemy's artillery, and we anxiously awaited the 
command to fire. But they were no fools that we had to deal 
with. For a moment everything was hushed, till the suspense 
became painful. At length the destructive missiles came, fol- 
lowed by the crash of splinters, and a wild yell of agony, ac- 
companied with deep groans, smote upon the ear. Instantly 
our battery was brought to bear, and its iron contents sped on 
their work of retaliation. But the enemy had shifted tbe 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 287 

position of his guns, and our aim was consequently useless. 
It was evident to all that we were playing a losing game, and 
it was with no small degree of satisfaction that we bebeld the 
signal-lanterns displayed on board of the chief, to weigh 
anchor and continue on up the river. 

We were completely surrounded by our enemies, who not 
only held both banks of the river and had shut us up in the 
rear, but they likewise held a number of strongly fortified 
posts, besides having a large squadron of armed brigs, schoon- 
ers, and gunboats in front of us. North-east of the province 
of Entre Eios lay that of Corrientes, which, ever vacil- 
lating between the cause of the Orientals and that of the 
Argentines, was now in favor of the former, and the object of 
our present expedition was to confirm them in? their present 
views, and concert measures to assist the Oriental President 
Rivera in his intended invasion of the Buenos Ayrean terri- 
tory. Therefore two hundred miles farther would place us 
among friends, that is, if they did not change their minds before 
we reached their locality, which would have been characteristic 
of them. We were soon moving away from the dangerous 
anchorage ; und our constant motion preventing the enemy 
from training their guns with accuracy, they ceased their lire. 

We carried a smart breeze through a part of the night, 
and the morning light revealed to our sight the small village 
of San Nicholas, pleasantly located at the mouth of a creek 
which emptied into the Parana, about two hundred miles 
above Buenos Ayres. Here, much to my astonishment, the 
patrone of the Baleincro was set at liberty, his little vessel, 
however, being retained as a prize. The suspicion of there 
being an artillery force in the neighborhood alone saved this 
village from being sacked. We landed our prisoner without 
any opposition, and I believe the honest pueblanos made a hasty 
retreat on our first appearance, driving off their horses and 
cattle before them. Towards night we came to in front of the 
Puebla of San Pedro, where it appeared to be the determina- 



288 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

tion of the Commodore to remain during the night. To guard 
against any recurrence of the scenes of the previous night 
a strong party of volunteers were organized, and as soon as 
it was dark enough to cover the manoeuvre, they were landed, 
under command lof Major- Rodriguez, the officer of marines, 
with discretionary power to act as he thought proper, the 
boats under the charge of a guard remaining to re-embark the 
party in case of accidents. 

There was but little rest on board of the brig during the 
night, as nearly all who did not go with the foraging party 
were kept upon the qui vive, in expectation of a call for assist- 
ance ; but the night wore off without any disturbance, and at 
sunrise our redoubtable band of midnight plunderers came 
marching dow«i to the boats, with drums beating, and the manta 
(scarf) of some fugitive senora waving from the head of a pike- 
staff, in lieu of colors. They brought with them a large quan- 
tity of plunder, most of which was scarcely worth the trouble 
of transporting on board of the vessels ; but the acquisition 
of a good stock of fresh provisions was a source of congratu- 
lation to all. The vigilance of the enemy had forced us, 
since entering the river, to confine ourselves to the miserable 
jerked beef we had brought from Montevideo, of which we 
had become heartily sick ; therefore the prospects of beef- 
steaks and savory soups tended strongly towards the restora- 
tion of the spirit and humor of the men, which were rapidly 
on the wane. Our foragers succeeded in capturing three 
pueblanos, who were at once impressed into the service, with- 
out any regard to the circumstances of their being, I had 
almost said, our enemies. But a people possessing such a 
faculty of accommodating themselves to whatever circumstan- 
ces they chanced to be placed in, can hardly be classed any- 
where. They are the friends of those who may happen to have 
them in their power for the time being, and vice versa. We 
had lost three men when we were driven from our late anchor- 
age, and the prisoners were destined to fill their places. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 289 

Progressing along the river, we observed at one point ou 
the bank a large stone building, which we were informed was a 
nunnery, and so it proved to be, for on our nearer approach, 
the fraternity turned out en masse to receive us. I am very 
much afraid that if the illustrious Governor of the Argentine 
confederation had heard the vivas of these out-door mortiiiera 
of the flesh, he would have thought them very naughty, and 
possibly might have shut them up. It is probable they were 
apprehensive we would make a target of their very comfortable 
residence, nor do I think our gallant commanders were any 
too good to amuse themselves in that way ; but their protesta- 
tions of loyalty towards el Presidents de la Rejiublica Oriental 
were so vociferous, that our commanders, with more gallantry 
than I had given them credit for, forbore to make any farther 
demonstration upon it. 

The next place of note on our course was Santa Rosaria 5 
and the knowing ones among our company shook their heads 
and looked with an air of profound significance at each other, 
while a few old croakers indulged in exaggerated accounts of 
the strength of the fortifications, and the desperate fighting we 
should meet with at that point; and by the time we came in 
6ight of the place, the curiosity of the green-horns in the river 
was wrought up to the highest pitch. Santa Rosaria is situated 
on the south bank of the Parana, near the mouth of the Salader, 
distant about two hundred and sixty miles from Buenos Ayres, 
and from the river ssemed to be a populous and thriving town* 
A neat church, surmounted by a handsome tower, from which 
waved the flag of the Santa Feeinas, appeared peeping from a 
grove of trees. The place was occupied by a large body of 
troops, who seemed to be well supplied with artillery, and 
could, if they so wished, have made our transit before the 
town much warmer than we should have found comfortable : 
but the people of that province were then lukewarm rather 
than hostile to the Buenos Ayrean Government, and therefore 
let us pass without molestation, on the principal of daub me, 

25 



290 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and I'll daub thee ; yet showing a force sufficient to convince 
us that they were able and ready to take their part, in case 
their southern, or rather eastern brethren should endeavor to 
assume the high hand. At all events, these people impressed 
me much more favorably, from the appearance of this village, 
than had either the Orientals or the Argentines ; but whether 
these impressions would have been confirmed upon a closer 
acquaintance, I had no opportunity of proving. 

Every preparation had been made on board of our vessels 
for a desperate fight, and as we sailed by the dubious spot, all 
the men were at their quarters, many of them stripped to the 
buff, silent and motionless ; even the fierce voice of Arana was 
mute. We passed close enough to hear distinctly the vivas of 
the troops in honor of the chief of our force, and shortly after 
we came to anchor a mile above the town, where we displayed 
the flags of the provinces of Santa Fe, Corrientes, and Paraguay, 
in conjunction with the Oriental, at the mast-heads of our 
vessels. Here Garibaldi likewise received an envoy from the 
General of the Santa Fe troops, the purport of whose business 
did not transpire. 

During the night a supply of fresh provisions having been 
sent on board from the Puebla, we again proceeded on our way. 
Our course now lay about N. E. by N., and the river being less 
obstructed by islands, our warping was discontinued and we 
were enabled to make better headway. As we had no tidings 
of the Buenos Ayrean fleet being in the river, it was fair to 
presume we were in no great danger from them for the present. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 291 



CHAPTER XXIX, 

Bajada — Preparations for a battle — The Argentine squadron — Warm 
work — An awful spectacle — Results of the battle of Bajada — New 
scenery — The Capiucha — Alarm — The hunters vanquished by a grunt 
— The new claimant for the spoils— The game secured — Old Cabo — 
The Macaco — French cannibalism — Durow — Bargre — Discovery of 
the enemy — Deserters' signals — Prepare for action — Punta Gordo — 
The conflict — Dangerous position of the schooner — Method of doubling 
the point — The catastrophe — Who is accountable ? 

Our course was now shifted altogether to the opposite bank 
of the river, or coast of Entre Bios, the chief town of which 
we were approaching, called Bajada or Vacada. Here was 
the naval station of the confederation, and we were given to 
understand that we should have a brush with both fleet and 
batteries. The note of preparation was already sounded, and 
on the evening of the 12th of July we anchored in sight of a 
bold promontory, which jutted into the river and concealed 
the enemy as well as the town from our view. The wind not 
being very favorable, the opportunity was embraced to allow 
the men to recover from the fatigue they had undergone, and for 
the first time in twenty-three days they enjoyed the benefit of a 
full night's rest. 

The drums summoned the people at break of day, and the 
breeze being fresh and fair, we were soon under full sail and 
rounding the point which concealed the position of the enemy 
from our view. At a quarter to eight the men were called to 
quarters, and the decks cleared for action. By the time every- 
thing was in readiness, we ranged past the last object which 
obstructed our view, and the Bajada lay before us. The salute of 
the Entre Rirmos came simultaneously with our appearance, and 
the ringing crash of the shot, as they buried in our poor old 
hulks, gave us notice that we could not brag much over the shore 
folks in regard to the calibre of our guns. The port of Bajada 



292 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

is formed by a deep lagoon, extending to the south and east 
about a mile, in front of which, and dividing it from the river, 
stretched a narrow sand-bar. A£ either end of this bar there 
was a narrow channel, which admitted vessels of light draught 
to within one hundred yards of the shore. In this bay a squad- 
ron of- nine armed vessels were anchored, including two small 
brigs and two schooners. The latter vessels mounted heavy 
guns, while those of the smaller craft were not of much conse- 
quence. The squadron was covered by a batterv of 8-poundcrs 
on shore. The Pucbla is situated somewhat back from the 
river, and, like Santa Eosario, is secreted by the trees around 
it so as to be free from observation. 

As the morning advanced, the wind, which had been fresh, 
gradually died away, so that about the time we had arrived 
opposite the southern channel leading into the lagoon, we were 
becalmed. Our anchors were therefore let go, and we opened 
our fire, which continued with great spirit for two hours. 
Under cover of the cannonade the channel was sounded, and, 
much to the mortification of all on board of the squadron, it 
was found there was not water enough for our lightest vessel 
to enter. This disconcerted the arrangements of the Commo- 
dore, who had counted upon capturing the whole squadron. 
But they were out of his reach, and as our storing and 
battering them w T as of little use, we made preparations for 
kedging past the place. The enemy were having the Lest 
of the fun : our vessels, being large, offered fine targets for their 
gunners, who improved at every discharge. Our s°ils and 
rigging were already in tatters, when, to our great relief, a 
light breeze sprang up from the southward, and the anchor 
being weighed, we began to move through the water. 

The enemy now redoubled their fire, and the interval be- 
tween us was misty with the jets of spray thrown up by the 
continuous shower of mettraille (grape-shot.) - But the distance 
was too great for any injurious effects from that destructive 
missile. "We were pretty well tired of the sport by the time 




m% 



■III 






i'! ill! 



I ill f 

Hi 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 293 

we were out of the range of their guns, having been under 
their fire from half-past eight until twenty minutes past twelve, 
(luring which time our loss on board of the three ye 
amounted to thirteen men killed and twenty-three wounded. 
On': of the killed on board of the Perreira lost his life by the 
wind of a shot. Observing him fall, and being confident ho 
k by any visible substance, I sprang to his 
id rained his head against my knee. The blood fairly 
curdled in n I . f. The fkc« 

with large globules of dark blood ; the eyes appeared i 
they had been partly torn from tbeii . and hung ovfSk 

the cheek ; while the tongue, still quivering, was forced out 
until it touched the TJjo men recoiled from the un- 

, sightly object, and it was in vain I called upon a numb r of 
the marines to assist me in t lie body through the port, 

which I at last did wit'n the help of the rn rine officer. 

Xo ceremony w rved in burying the dead while 

on board of tin iment it was ined that 

was extinct, \\:<i corpse was at one 1 into the ri 

The loss of ' Jmed to have but little effect on 

the portion of our crew, who appeared to consider 

quencfc of an unavoidable necessity. 

Therefore, after they lost a mess&aii of the de- 

! and a sort of eulogium pronounced bt 

particular friend, after which, by common consent, his name 

itioned. 

It required all our stock of wit and patience to get the 

•1 in working order again, and nearly three otfi 

sumed in making the necessary i during the most of 

which tin in at anchor. The sails 

■d, the rigging knotted and spliced, sb< 

were at length j ed ready to pr DC ■ d 

on greeted by the sound 

hing from our bow, and being favored with 

-, we made goo 1 progress. The river scenery was 

'■ 25* 



294 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

magnificent ; strange beasts, birds, and fish began to make their 
appearance ; and the people, basking in the warm sunshine, 
forgot all their late care and exposure, and made the echoes of 
the river ring with their songs. As yet we had not lost a man 
from the little band of English and American sailors on board 
of the brig, and we indulged the hope that we should be able 
to make our way back to Montevideo unscathed ; but when, 
or how, was shrouded in mystery. 

The tapir, called by the natives capincha, now began to be 
observed in considerable numbers. At first, seeing half a score 
swimming in the river, I thoughtlessly pronounced them seal, 
much to the amusement of Arana, who overheard me, and 
whose question, " How long are they from Labosl" (an island 
much frequented by sealers in the mouth of the La Plata,) put 
me in remembrance that we were over three hundred miles up 
the Parana. They are a large unwieldy animal of a light red 
color, living mostly in the water, and feeding upon roots and 
small fish. Judging from their size, I should suppose that the 
full grown ones would weigh seven or eight hundred pounds — ■ 
the natives affirmed as high as twelve hundred, which I con- 
sidered doubtful. 

We had made fast to the bank of a beautiful green island, 
and Tom Lewis and myself, seizing the opportunity, leaped 
ashore, musket in hand, and making our way through the 
jungle, we presently came to the brink of a little lake which 
occupied the centre of the island. Steering our course to it, 
we were startled by a loud ivoh-h I which caused Tom, who 
was a little in advance, to make a sudden retrograde. In his 
alarm he capsized me, and was himself instantly pitched upon 
his beam-ends by my musket, which got between his legs, and 
for an instant there was a great scrambling. " What could 
that be ¥' asked Tom, raising upon his elbow with a grunt, and 
scratching his head. " Nothing but a capineha," I answered. 
" They are said to be harmless, but I should hate to hunt them 
in your company, Tom : you don't make a very good stand 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 295 

before the enemy." " That may be true enough," observed 
my comrade, " but you'll allow I'm a tolerable covering- 
party." My own joints bore testimony to the truth of this 
witticism, and having picked ourselves up, we proceeded cau- 
tiously to the bank of the lake. But we were not smart 
enough: before we could bring the muskets to our shoulders, 
the timid animals, with a succession of woh's f slid off the 
slope and disappeared in the water. We turned up the bank, 
and creeping cautiously along for a couple of hundred yards, 
I discovered a small specimen of the animal and succeeded in 
killing it. But there were two claimants for the game. While 
making my way through the brush, and within ten yards of the 
game, a large alligator quietly reached his head out of the water, 
and seizing my spoil within his capacious jaws, would have 
made way with it, had not Tom, whose visions of baked pig 
began at the moment to look very small, given an addition to 
his alligatorship's mouthful which he did not appear to relish 
so well. The capincha was ejected from the reptile's mouth 
with evident indications of disgust, and the mud and water 
gave proof that he had got as much of that kind of diet as 
would satisfy him for the time being ; and securing the twice- 
earned irophy, we commenced our return to the vessel. 

Passing near a large tree of a species called by the peo- 
ple madurcij whose trunk was crowned with a dense mass 
of branches and foliage, an object apparently leaping from 
branch to branch attracted our attention. From the glimpses 
we were enabled to catch, it appeared to be of a very dark 
brown or black color. I had not re-loaded my musket, and 
Tom took up a position to watch the varmint while I charged 
my piece. Both being ready, my comrade, having a good 
opportunity, blazed away, and something came tumbling head- 
long from the tree. " What is it, Tom f" I inquired, observing 
him to start back apparently horror-struck. " It's old Cabo !" 
whispered Tom, grasping my arm and drawing me away in 
alarm. We had on board of the brig an old and very diminu- 



29G 



tive negro who was commonly called the ccibo or corpora 
from his having charge of the berth-deck. He was a little 
gray headed j withered old man, the very essence of good nature, 

and an especial favorite with all the foreigners on board, par- 
ticularly of the English and Americans, whose interests he 
more closely Studied. lie also acted in the capacity of stew- 
ard and caterer for Tom and myself, and discharged his duty 
to our unbounded satisfaction. The idea of being the cause 
of the old fellow's death, however innocently, was really dis- 
tressing. But the most curious part of the affair to me \\ 
how the old man got into the tree — a. feat which would have 
been creditable to a young num. but absolutely beyond the 
power of the individual in question. 1 therefore assured my 
comrade that he was mistaken, and proposed making a more 
careful examination. 

With this view, we proceeded to make our way through the 
brush. At the spat from which my chum had made his nota- 
ble discovery, 1 perceived, through a little opening among tho 
shrubbery, the appearance of a face so closely resembling that 
of a human being, that my heart began to beat a regular tattoo 
upon my ribs, and I had almost convinced myself that Tom was 
right ; and had it not been that some irresistible, fceiiflg drew 
me onward, I should have turned and hurried away. I forced 
my win- through the tangled undergrowth, and the problem 
was solved — my {ears in regard to our faithful steward were dis- 
Bipated. Before us, stark and grim, lay stretched the carcass of 
a. full-grown Brazilian ape — a bona fide patriarch of the forest, 
as his head, beard, and whiskers, which were nearly white 
with age, clearly proved. His features, almost human, were 
hideously distorted. The teeth, white as ivory, were firmly 
set ; and his eyes, yellow and bloodshot, glared with an appal- 
ling fierceness. This was too good a prize to be left behind, 
and with a view to securing his hide, we determined to con- 
vey him to the brig, which, from the sounds of the carpenter's 
Saw and hammer, was not very far distant. This we soon 



WILD (MIS SOWINCS. 297 

found to be no easy undertaking, and after various attemptt 
\o take oft' hie hide on t\\c spot, we were reduced to the abso- 
lute necessity of carrying the carcass of the brute, which 
we managed to do by BusjJending it by the neck with our 
bandkerchiofs to one of the muskets and carrying it betwoen 
us. la this way, by making short stages, we at length came 
in eiiht of the vessel, and with the assistance of a number 
of yoluntcera we soon had our prize on board. The limbs 
of tiie animal were by this time sufficiently stiffened io enable 
m to place it in a standing posture, when we found its height 
was four feet nine and a half inches, sixteen and a half inches 

across the shoulders, and twenty-tWO around the waist. 
The arms were nearly three feet in length. Arana at first 
sight recognized it. as one iA' Rosas* privy counselors, and bid 

ten patOCtnes for his hide, an offer which we accepted at om e, 
and we also received two pctfacont* for the carcass, from a 
number of our French officers* 

The name commonly given by the native Orientals to these 

npes is ni<(:ac(K and they are said to be more than a match in 
strength for any ordinary man, which required no great amount 
of credulity to believe, especially when the savage rows of 
teeth which garnish the mouth of the animal is thrown into 
the balance. 1 had a great curiosity to know in what way the 

carcass was to he disposed ^d\ Among our count r\ men the 
idea of using the flesh of a monkey io\' i'ood would he abhor- 
rent, and it was with feelings oi' the most unqualified disgust 
that 1 I eheld the limbs of the animal — now divested of its skin, 
Which rendered its appearance still more human severed by 
the cleaver of the wardroom cook and thrown into the boiling 
cauldron. 1 had heard that the Smaller tribes of monkeys 
were in common use as an article of lood in the Brazils and 

most tropical countries, but the devouring of such subjects as 

this was too nearly allied to cannibalism; and I ever after- 
wards regarded our French companions as but little better 
than so many Marquesnns. We found our eapineha all that 



298 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

we had been led to expect, from the descriptions of the native 
people : its taste was as decidedly porkish as that of any young 
roaster, which it was about equal to in size. After the ani- 
mal is over a month old it is unfit to eat, being <rf a strong, 
fishy taste. Like the hog, the body is covered with a thick 
layer of fat, the lard from which is highly esteemed for culi- 
nary purposes. 

Fish were caught in almost any quantity. Of these the 
principid kind, called by the people durow, was a large fish 
nearly resembling the drum-fish of the Mississippi, Brazos, and 
Colorado, though it somewhat exceeded the latter in thickness. 
It is fleshy, free from small bones, and of excellent flavor. Of 
the cat-fish there were at least a dozen different species, all de- 
nominated by the natives bargre, another term being applied to 
designate the peculiarity of the particular species. Thus the 
bargre armada, or armed cat-fish, was possessed of six rows of 
sharp spikes, reaching from the head to the tail, rendering him 
an ugly subject to take hold of : the skin partook of the na- 
ture of an alligator's hide. The bargre brava, was identical 
with our common cat-fish, and was offset by the bargre Jlacco, 
(soft,) in which the sharp thorns, so formidable in appear- 
ance, arc found upon examination, to be mere quakers, and 
harmless. The bargre preio % (black,) and bianco, (white,) were 
the most common, and being of a fine flavor, they formed a 
welcome object at the mess-table. Another delicacy was soon 
added by the immense flocks of paroquets, which kept the 
wooded islands in a continual din with their noisy chatter. 
These birds were very delicious, and we procured them in 
large numbers whenever we tied up to wait for a fair wind. 

As day after day passed, our time was very agreeably 
occupied, every succeeding reach of the river, as we progressed, 
disclosing new beauties. The climate grew warmer every 
league we gained, and the presumed certainty- that we were 
beyond the reach of any force that could be sent in pursuit of 
us, kept up a general flow of goods spirits, and the vessels echoed 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 299 

With mirth and song; none of the officers of the expedition 
offering any objection to these ebullitions of enjoyment, so long 
as they did not interfere with the duties of the ship. 

We were soon, however, destined to experience a change 
of programme. As early as the 23d of the month, we had made 
the discovery of a large force of artillery, which was evidently 
marching to occupy some point of the rivei; from which we 
could be annoyed ; but as some time had since elapsed, it had 
been forgotten by the most of us, until the subject was brought 
to our notice again by the appearance of a high bluff some 
eight miles ahead, upon which the commander seemed to 
bestow a large share of his attention. On inquiry this proved 
to be the place where our Commodore expected another bar to 
our farther progress ; but as yet we discovered no indications 
of the place being occupied by the enemy, and the wind having 
died away, we made fast to an island. Here during the ensuing 
night an Irishman and three of the Orientals deserted with 
one of our boats, and as their flight was not discovered till the 
next morning, pursuit was useless. Arana was furious, and 
swore that if another los Ingleses deserted, he would sacrifice 
every one of us who remained — an act he was fully capable 
of. His rage was now diverted into another channel by the 
Commodore's signal to get under way and prepare for action. 
We were soon moving before the brisk morning breeze toward 
the point, and at eight a. m., while the crew were at breakfast, 
the clear shrill notes of a bugle were borne upon the breeze to 
our decks, placing the nature of the day's work before us beyond 
a doubt. Funto Gordo, or fat point, the summit of which was 
alive with the troops of Rosas, has an elevation of some eighty 
feet, and rises almost perpendicular from the river, having no 
beach, the water at its base being deep and rapid : the opposite 
bank, on the contrary, was a flat sandy slope, with shoals 
extending well into the river, which here makes an abrupt turn 
from N. N. E. to nearly south, after which it resumes its north- 
easterly course. It required no great amount of penetration to 



300 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

perceive that as soon as we could close with the bank we should 
be perfectly secure from the shot of the enemy so far as regarded 
cur personal safety, as the enemy's guns could not be sufficiently 
depressed to enable them to throw a shot below our cat-harpins. 
The most they could do would be to cut up our lighter spurs, 
rigging, sails, etc. On our part a similar predicament exut.d. 
Our pivot-guns, jvhich were capable of an elevation of 45 
degrees, fell six or seven degrees below the top or* the bank, 
while those of the Constitution ranged still lower. But, as the 
Frenchman says, Wait a little — ve sail zee, vat ve sa ] l zee. 

The enemy opened his lire, as usual, at long shot, but 
not being able to answer without yawing, we disregarded it 
altogether until we were within three-quarters of a mile, when 
we dropped our anchor under our forefoot, and opening our 
fire upon the bank, we cleared the spot in about ten minutes, 
silencing every gun. In the meanwhile the Constitution and 
Esperanza pressed on, and the former gained the shelter of the 
bank. The schooner, however, not holding her wind well, 
and having drawn a heavy fire from the enemy, fell to leeward, 
and grounded upon the shoals on the south side of the river, 
whether situation was extremely critical, as the enemy discov- 
ered her predicament, and returned to their guns and pelted 
her unmercifully for a few moments. But the long 18's of the 
brig were not to be long resisted, and again the enemy were 
silenced ; when assistance was rendered by the Commodore, 
and the schooner was hove off, and warped under cover of the 
bank. Having kept up. the cannonade as long as we could see 
anything at which to direct our fire, we hove up our anchor 
and ran up to our consorts, who were by this time fast closing 
with the point. 

The position we were now in rendered our guns useless, 
which was soon discovered by the enemy, who recommenced 
their fire, mostly aiming at our spars. At a signal from the 
chief, we opened a cannonade upon the bank, to the discomfiture 
of the sand-martins, which had made their nests therein, and 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 301 I 

large portions of the hard sanely concrete was constantly crum- 
bling into the river. At noon we were off the extreme point 
of the promontory, our starboard broadsides in full blast, 
tearing and excavating the foundation of the enemy's position 
in a way that left not a shadow of doubt as to the result, if 
the troops only maintained their ground. All the spare ropes in 
the vessel had been knotted together, and a heavy kedge-anehor 
having been attached, we took the lead by hedging some 
three hundred yards ahead of the Constitution. Here, dropping 
our anchor, we again opened our fire, and the Commodore, 
following suit with warp and keclge, soon joined us. In this 
way, moving forward alternately and keeping up a vigorous 
fire, we gradually drew towards the southern point of the reach, 
now plainly in sight. The schooner had been permitted to 
make the best of her way, as her guns were of no use, and she 
was already safe around the point, where the river again trended 
to the north-east. It was now sundown as our warps were 
laid for the last time, and our two vessels, close together, mad 2 a 
last effort to start the enemy from his position. Since three p. :>i. 
the marks upon our spars had showed us they had been using 
stones in lieu of shot ; and as Garibaldi seemed to think such a 
brave perseverance deserved some recompense, he facetiously 
proposed to Arana to lend them a few rounds, and our 12 and 
18-pounders were hurled with tremendous effect at the bank. 
The enemy being now either out of ammunition or suspi- 
cious of the looked-for result on our part, brought up their 
horses to withdraw the artillery. This movement hastened 
a catastrophe which probably would otherwise have been 
avoided. The bringing of a large number of horses and cattle 
upon the plateau, with the increased force of the shot from our 
heated guns, combined to crush out the crumbling foundation, 
and near an acre of the bank, with some three hundred of the 
enemy, a large number of draught oxen and horses, and seven 
pieces of their artillery, were precipitated into the foaming 
torrent below. It was the work of an instant, and the first 



802 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

yells of terror and despair, were hushed in a moment to a 
deathly stillness. For a few seconds we gazed at each other 
and at the surging waters which closed over the enemy, and 
the dreadful question arose in my mind, Am I responsible for 
this wholesale murder 1 My heart absolved me from the part 
I had taken ; but what an account must be rendered in the lay 
of final retribution by those who, merely to gratify an insatiate 
ambition, a lust of power, consign so many of their fellow-men 
to an untimely grave, filling the fair fields of God's heritage with 
desolation and despair! 



CHAPTER XXX. 



A fleet of prizes — The twenty years' blockade of Paraguay — The Jesuits 
and their missions — Dr. Francia — His policy — Yankee survivors of the 
blockade — Their account— Capture of the merchantmen — Culpable 
carelessness of the Commodore — The Tiger — Venom of the Boca de 
Algodon — Arana's pet — Scarcity of men — Arana's confidence in los 
Ingleses— -Review of killed and wounded since leaving Montevideo — 
The Chaha — The warning — Hasty movements — Too late — Our pro- 
gress barred — The enemy in sight. 

But little time was given for reflection. The thunder-tones 
of Arana's voice was heard ringing out the Oriental war-cry, 
and the drum and fife taking up the strain, the men with three 
cheers grasped the warps, and in a few moments more we 
were out of the reach of the Punto Gordo. In the lagoon 
formed by the abrupt angle of the river bank above the point, 
lay a small fleet of merchant vessels, deeply laden with the 
products of Paraguay — the first* that had left the ports of that 
province since the raising of the blockade, of which it may 
not be amiss to give some account here. In the sixteenth 
century the Jesuits, following in the train of the early Spanish 
adventurers, were admitted into the fertile regions of the La 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 303 

Plata, where they possessed themselves of the sole cognizance 
of everything pertaining to ecclesiastical affairs ; but not satis- 
fied with that assumption of power, they sought to arrogate 
to themselves the entire civil and political authority, and 
partly succeeded. But the jealousy of the Spanish Govern- 
ment having become aroused by their encroachments upon the 
rights of the crown, they were expelled by royal authority in 
1767, after enjoying an almost unlimited sway over the people 
for a century and a half. During the seventeenth century the 
missions of Paraguay were established by these indefatigable 
seekers after power, who managed to effect a total revolution, 
if I may use the expression, in the manners and customs of 
the natives of the country. The expulsion of the order from 
Paraguay was but partial in its effects in most similar cases. 
The visible exercise of their authority was nipped just so far 
as regarded the assistance of the civil power, which had for- 
merly been the passive instrument in carrying out their de- 
crees ; but the minds of the people, accustomed to render a 
slavish submission to their ghostly rulers as the only authority 
possessing any virtue, yielded silently but implicitly the same 
obedience that had marked their character since the advent of 
their new masters. This is not to be wondered at, when we 
consider that the elements upon which they worked were a 
mere race of savages. Their influence upon the descendants 
of the European Spaniards in the lower provinces, although 
as strongly marked, was not so deeply rooted, and the sentence 
of expulsion was hailed by the people as the advent of liberty. 
Paraguay revolted, with the rest of the provinces, against the 
Spanish crown in 1808, and being from its situation in a great 
measure exempted from the warlike demonstrations incident to 
the other Spanish colonies, the struggle which so nearly ex- 
hausted them passed the Paraguayans scathless. This will 
account for the submission of the other States of the confede- 
racy to the system of exclusiveness imposed on the province by 
the Dictator Francia. 



304 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Upon the declaration of independence from Old Spain, in 
^ 1821, the provisional government of the province was vested 
in Dr. Francia, a learned Jesuit father, who presently managed 
to exchange his temporary authority for that of an absolute 
dictator, he being elected with that title for life. Upon reach- 
ing that high station his whole energies seems to have been 
directed to the creation of the means for the maintenance of 
his own authority. The whole able-bodied male population 
cf the province were at once instructed in the use of arms: 
every quarter offering an available point of attack to an enemy 
was strongly fortified ; vessels of war were built and launched 
upon the river, which is there said to branch out into broad 
and deep lakes ; and as a finicking-stroke, the country was 
declared in a state of blockade, to be continued for twenty- 
one year?, all ingress or egress from the province to cease from 
the time of issuing the proclamation. The penalty attached to 
any infraction of this blockade was imprisonment during its 
existence, with such -fcther modifications as the nature of the 
particular case might demand. This act was rigidly enforced, 
and many vessels which happened to be in the port of Assump- 
sion remained there to decay. 

It was my good fortune to meet with two Connecticut 
Yankees who had been detained the full term by this freak of 
Franeia. The vessel in which they entered the port of As- 
sumpsion, twenty- one years before, had rotted to pieces, and 
they had at last received permission to leave the country, if 
they chose to do so. They stated they had been paid for every 
moment of their detention ; that they were married, and had 
families in the province, and felt rather inclined to end their 
days there. Land had been given them, and they had acquired 
wealth: subjected to no other restraints than those imposed by 
the provisions of the blockade, they went and came wherever 
they chose, within the prescribed limits. At first (the first 
two years) they were closely watched, after which no particu- 
lar surveillance was exercised towards them. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 305 

The blockade had just expired, the fleet of merchantmen 
at anchor in the lagoon being the first fruits of the new state 
of affairs ; and from the appearance of things, the Argentine 
General was determined to prevent them from falling into the 
hands of los Salvages Uniterm, if possible. His troops were 
scattered thickly over the eastern slope of the point, from 
which the vessels could be easily covered by musketry ; and not 
expecting any farther resistance, our boats were manned at 
once and dashed among the fleet. They had hardly succeeded 
in boarding before the whole slope was in a blaze, and one half 
of the boats came clashing back faster than they went. They 
were dispatched a second time, and in the meantime we opened 
a fire of grape with our long guns upon the slope, which must 
have proved very destructive. However, the enemy stood to 
their guns as long as there was any hope of saving their ves- 
sels, and only ceased their fusilade when we had them safely 
at anchor alongside of us. There were nine of them, small 
brigs and schooners, laden with cigars, tobacco, verba, du.lees, 
etc., and they made quite an addition to the appearance of 
our squadron. 

We now received notice direct from the chiefs of the ex- 
pedition, that we might consider the dangers of the enterprize 
past. This was good news, and the congratulations of all 
were unbounded, as if the object which had brought us here 
was fully accomplished. A general spirit of indifference as to 
whether we made any farther progress seemed to have taken 
possession of the Commodore. When there was plenty of 
wind, we would sail a short distance and then come to anchor. 
Making fast to an island, one day, a number of us started a 
large tiger, which, upon our giving chase, leaped over the 
j-ungle and disappeared, followed by the whole posse, among 
whom was Commandante Arana. After an unsuccessful pursuit, 
we returned to the brig. Just as we were stepping on board, the 
strange actions of a small dog belonging to the commander 
drew the attention of several of the party. By his yelping 

26* 



306 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and barking we concluded that he had started some game, and 
we returned to see what it was. As if emboldened by our ap- 
pearance, the dog redoubled his noisy attack, paying no heed 
to the voice of his master, who endeavored to call him off. 
We had nearly reached the spot, when the animal uttered a 
sharp howl, and instantly turned upon his back, his feet up, 
and quivering like an aspen leaf. On looking for the cause of 
the mystery, we found a small reptile adhering to his nose by 
its fangs. It was instantly killed by Aran a, who betrayed 
more feeling over the dead dog than he would have done over 
one half of the ship's company under the same circumstances. 
The dog was a favorite pet of Arana's wife, and had been com- 
mitted to his charge as a souvenir, upon the eve of our sailing 
from Montevideo, with the injunction to take good care of it 
and bring it safe back to her. He said he had promised that 
if he came back himself the dog should accompany him, I 
was amazed at the frightful and rapid effects of the venom. 
Ten minutes had hardly elapsed before the body swelled to an 
enormous size and burst open its entire length, while the flesh 
betrayed all the incipient stages of mortification. The reptile 
was about seven inches in length : its head, forming about one- 
third of its entire bulk, displayed a pair of jaws which far ex- 
ceeded, proportionately, those of the alligator. The mouth 
appeared to be filled with a substance resembling a small wad 
of fresh-picked cotton, from which it takes the name Boca de 
Algodon (cotton-mouth.) It was carefully preserved in a bot- 
tle of spirits by Arana's orders, who drowned his own sorrows 
in a bottle of the same material. 

We now began to feel the want of men. Not having suc- 
ceeded in securing a single one of the former crews of the 
prizes, we were obliged to man them with the native material 
from our own vessels. The idea of putting the foreign sailors, 
especially the English and American, on board of them could 
not be entertained for an instant. Our commander swore that 
it would be as sensible to send us all by express to Buenos 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 307 

Ayres, as to trust us out of his sight. There were only two 
that he placed any confidence in, and those were Tom and 
myself. This was his assertion, but it did not go far with 
either of us. Our prizes numbered ten vessels, each of which, 
owing to the inefficiency of those who were sent to man them, 
required eleven men. At the Punto Gorcla we had lost eleven 
killed and seven wounded on board of the three vessels, making 
a total loss, since leaving Montevideo, of thirty-six killed and 
forty wounded, so that the entire force left on board of the 
Constitution and Perreira only reached one hundred and sixty 
men and officers. The schooner Esperanza had been dispatched 
in advance to the city of Corrientes, to give notice of our ap- 
proach, taking her full complement of fifty men with her. 

From the 3d of August, the day on which we had our 
last brush with the enemy, until the 2 2d, we had not pro- 
gressed over sixty miles. The two entire days preceding the 
latter date the vessels had remained at anchor, with awnings 
spread fore and aft, the men amusing themselves in various 
ways or basking in the warm sunshine. The fishing was rare 
sport, , and as the flocks of paroquets soared through the 
ether above us, a salvo of a dozen muskets at a time would 
fill the air with dead bodies and parti-colored plumage, the 
lucky survivors giving palpable evidence of their consternation 
in loud and angry chattering, the moment they had gained the 
security of the wooded islands. The nights were beautiful, 
and it was a rare treat to study the moonlit features of the 
noble river, which, studded with its magnificently wooded 
islands, lay stretched out before us like a sheet of molten sil- 
ver. The wild-cat yell of the tiger was almost constantly 
heard, as was likewise the shrill notes of the trumpeter, a rare 
bird, of which I was anxious to secure a specimen, but, owing 
to their extreme shyness, it was a long time before I succeeded 
in my washes. These singular birds are never found except in 
couples, male and female, and the shrill chaha of the former is 
sure to be answered instantly at no great distance by the softer 



308 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

modulated clialm-lo of the latter. There are three varieties of 
the trumpeter : the one which I eventually succeeded in getting 
possession of, was of the species known as the armed trumpeter, 
from the spurs or spikes with which the top or shoulders of its 
wings are garnished — an almost useless appendage, one would 
suppose, for a bird of such peaceful habits. They are eminently 
conjugal, as has been proved by the fact that the separation of 
mates surely and speedily ends in the death of the bereaved 
one. They are about the size of a small turkey ; and those I 
had the opportunity of closely observing, including the one 
before alluded to, were possessed of the most beautiful plum- 
age, in which, white, gray, and scarlet, formed the most promi- 
nent colors, the head being bare. 

On the 23d of August the signal to make sail was displayed 
on board of the Commodore's vessel, and in a short time our 
squadron, which now made quite an imposing appearance, was 
in motion. Again the mast head was decorated with the parti- 
colored numbers, which by reference to the code of signals 
read, " make all sail." This sudden start occasioned not a 
little surprise, and every cause but the right one had been sur- 
mised by the crews. Early in the morning my comrade Tom, 
having the watch, reported a sound as of the firing of heavy 
guns to the south-west. This had been noticed on board of the 
Constitution, and occasioned the shadow of a suspicion in the 
mind of Garabaldi that he was not yet out of the reach of 
old Brown's clutches, At any rate, the precipitate manner in 
which we left our anchorage showed that he felt anxious to 
make up for lost time. The winds were mostly mere cat's-paws 
and our progress proportion ably slow ; and as if to render our 
destruction inevitable, at four p. m. on the 27th our farther 
progress was stopped by a sandbar, having but eight feet of 
water upon it, which would require the stripping of the Con- 
stitution of everything moveable to enable her to pass over. In 
this dilemma we followed the motion of our chief, and came to 
anchor. The next moment the signal of " the enemy in sight," 



WILD OATS SOWINGS, 309 

was waving lazily from the mizzen-topgallant mast-head of the 
ship. From our mast-head I counted at first five, and in ten 
minutes two more of the enemy's vessels. On coming in sight, 
the foremost vessel, a large brig bearing the flag of the Argen- 
tine Admiral, immediately anchored. He was evidently aware 
that we were at his mercy, and determined to risk nothing by 
indulging us in anything like a fair fight on equal terms. Kis 
vessels continued to arrive and take their positions in line, 
until at sunset the number amounted to thirteen, which, con- 
sidering there were only two of us, were as many as there was 
any necessity for. The great wonder to me was, that the 
enemy did not attack us at once, before we were able to bring 
the vessels into position. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

The council — Forming the line of battle — The caucus — Position of the 
enemy — Battle of the Costa de Bravo — An old score wiped off— The 
night of the 28th — The Author wounded — Abandonment and destruc- 
tion of the squadron — The retreat. 

Our forebodings were as gloomy and dark as the night which 
set in, and we awaited with anxiety the result of the council 
in session on board of the Commodore's vessel. Thanks to the 
urgent necessity for instant action, we were not kept long in 
suspense, and from my comrade, who had accompanied Arana, 
I was made acquainted with the proceedings of the meeting. 
The majority of the officers were for blowing up the vessels 
and transferring our operations to the land, and Arana alone 
voted for getting under way and laying the enemy on board 
at once. But these two projects were vetoed by Garibaldi, who 
gave his instructions to Arana and broke up the council, 
resolving to carry out his own plan for defense. What that 
plan was, will appear from what follows. 



310 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The river at the point which we occupied presented a 
breadth of about one mile and a half, which space, with the 
exception of some three hundred yards in width occupied by 
the channel, was a vast network of shoals. The northern 
bank was formed by an island about five miles long, lying 
obliquely nearly across the entire river, which from this point 
bore away to the west of north again. The southern extremity 
of the island formed the rallying-point of the enemy at about 
one mile's distance. The largest prize vessel was immediately 
relieved of her deck-load, which was unceremoniously tossed 
into the river, and being placed in position and her bow well 
moored with extra anchors, her stern was hove up against the 
current, by means of strong hawsers securely fastened to the 
trees on the bank. Four spare twelve- pounders were speedily 
transferred to her deck, with a crew of thirty men detailed from 
the prizes, which were henceforth to take care of themselves, 
all of the men being recalled to their former quarters. Imme- 
diately upon the schooner's being placed in position, the 
Perriera was moved ahead of her, and anchors having been laid 
up stream, her stern was hove up under the bow of the schooner. 
The Constitution was next brought into the line ahead of the 
brig. The amount of labor performed that night would test 
the credulity of any one but an eye-witness ; therefore I will 
only say that the men worked as if their life depended on their 
exertions. By three a. m. the line of battle was complete and 
everything ready for action, the prize vessels being anchored 
in a line about three hundred yards above us. One thing more 
remained to be done, which was committed to the care of Tom 
Lewis and myself: this was, to dress the brig in all her nnery. 
For this purpose we rove girtlines, to which we fastened all 
the signals belonging to the vessel, while the flags of the provin- 
ces of Santa Fe and Corrientes were assigned to the mast-heads. 
Thus everything was arranged as if for a holiday. A couple 
of brief hours remained to us for repose, and the men, weary 
and dispirited, were advised to improve them for that purpose. 



W^LD OATS SOWINGS. 311 

But no one thought of sleep ; and the foreigners, including 
French, Dutch, Swedes, Danes, Britons, and Americans, all 
assembled together to take measures to secure to ourselves the 
greatest possible amount of safety. Arana was already destroy- 
ing all the energies he so much needed for the clay's work 
before him, substituting in their stead a drunken ferocity 
worthy only of a brute, which he always appeared to consider 
as the quintessence of a warrior ; but he was destined to pay 
the penalty of his folly. A general agreement was entered 
into by our own party to have a watchful eye over each other, 
and that no volunteering should be tolerated, unless at least 
ten of our number should go in company. The probability 
was, that as the enemy had possession of the lower point of the 
island, there would be some guerrilla fighting on both sides ; 
but we were confident none would be called to this duty but 
those who might offer ; and as ten of our boys were worth 
thrice the number of natives, we considered that number as 
capable of taking care of themselves. One thing was certain, 
however, no mercy or quarter was to be expected from the 
enemy if we fell into their hands ; and it was resolved unani- 
mously to fight it out to the last, and share the fate of the 
Commodore, let it be what it would. 

Daylight was glimmering in the east before our caucus 
ended, and as the light increased, revealing the hostile fleet, 
now, to our astonishment, numbering, including gunboats, 
twenty-three sail, we were almost dismayed. Our people, 
without the preliminary summons of the drum, had already 
taken their post at their quarters, evidently anxious to tiy 
the mettle of the Blanquilliers, (pronounced Blankeelyers,) the 
common term by which the Argentines were designated, from 
bianco, (white,) the distinguishing color of the party ; that of 
the Orientals being Colorado, (red.) The first rays of the morn- 
ing's sun following quickly after the dawn, already streaked 
the orient with its crimson halo, when the order was given to 
man the girtlines and light the matches. 



312 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The enemy were evidently willing that we should begin 
the fray ; and the sun now having revealed its broad disc 
through the morning vapors, the rainbow of flags and signals 
ascended to the mast-heads amid the roar of our long 18's, 
and in a moment the stillness of the morning gave way to 
the thunder of near an hundred pieces of ordnance, and the 
crashing shot as they tore their way through the stout bul- 
warks of our vessels. The enemy, having the advantage of a 
wider channel, had extended his line quite across the river, his 
light vessels being enabled to take advantage of the shoal water 
upon the south side of the stream. The head of his line of battle 
was taken by the brig General Echagua, mounting sixteen 
long 18's, and bearing the flag of Admiral Brown. In close 
proximity with the flag-ship were the San Martin Palmar, 
Chacabuco, Aguier, and a number of other large vessels, all 
mounting heavy metal, which told with disastrous effect upon 
our devoted hulks, for by noon our masts, spars, and rigging 
were irretrievably ruined, and hanging in a tangled mass in 
every direction. The Constitution had received a number of 
shot below her water-line, and was obliged to keep her pumps 
continually working, and the destruction of our vessels had 
already become a fixed fact, although the Ferriera as yet 
remained uninjured in her hull. 

The cannonade waxed fast and furious as the clay began to 
decline, and the people, nearly exhausted, went through with 
their arduous duty almost mechanically, when a new source of 
danger once more aroused their energies. About one hundred 
and fifty yards in advance of the extreme left of our line of 
battle, the bank of the island was covered to the extent of 
about a quarter of an acre with a dense thicket of gnarled 
shrubs, resembling the musquiU of Louisiana, in which a 
party of the enemy had, unobserved by us, gained shelter, 
from whence they now saluted us with a shower of musket- 
balls which brought down a dozen of our brave fellows. Not a 
moment was to be lost ; the thicket must be instantly cleared, or 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 313 

the decks of the brig and schooner could not be held for a 
moment. Already the shouts of Arana for volunteers were 
ringing through the vessel. There was no security on board. 
My eye met Tom's, as we simultaneously grasped a musket 
and sprang after the commander, who, sabre in hand, was 
already in the boat. Our example was followed by most of 
the foreigners, and we reached the bank at the same moment 
with a strong party of fifty marines from the Constitution. 
Arana took the lead without any attempt at forming the 
party in order, bidding us to follow him, and every man to 
fight upon his own hook. In this way we dashed into the 
thicket by the shortest route, while the marines, under their 
captain-, marched into the prairie, with the evident intention of 
gaining the rear of the enemy. 

Upon our approach, the whole party of the enemy, after 
firing a scattering volley at us, fled from their covert and 
rallied in the open campo, about ninety yards from the edge 
of the thicket, forming in line to the number of about three 
hundred. There were but about thirty of us, all told, and the 
odds seemed too strong even for Arana, who commanded a 
halt. From the skirt of our covert we commenced a regular 
course of target practice, each man singling out his object. 
The enemy replied briskly, but with no effect, and after a few 
moments we knew by the firing to the left of us that the 
marines had got to work. They now fell by the dozen, at 
every volley ; no men could stand such a fire long, and their 
line gave way. At this instant Arana dashed from the thicket 
with a wild yell, and the rest of us following with loud cheers, 
which were taken up and re-echoed by our marines, completed 
their discomfiture, and with loud cries of, "Ja lo venga el Tort 1" 
(There comes the deformed !) meaning, of course, the devil in 
the person of Arana, they fled towards their vessels with 
the greatest precipitation. We followed close at their heels, 
loading and firing as we ran. I had tripped in the grass and 
fell, but was in the act of rising, when Tom, who had stuck 

27 



314 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

close by my side, laid his hand upon nay arm, whispering the 
word, "Down!" "What is it, Tom f I inquired. "Are 
you loaded V he asked, without answering my question. 
" Yes." " Then look there," pointing to a clump of some 
thirty or forty trees, under which a considerable party of the 
flying enemy had rallied, unobserved, as we thought, by any 
one but ourselves. My eyes were riveted on the spot in an 
instant. In front of the party, holding a pole to which was 
attached a Buenos Ayrean flag, stood the corporal of the 
Oriental police from whom I had formerly escaped, through 
the agency of Manuela Ramos and the friendly pulperia keeper. 
The next instant my eye was lining the barrel of my musket 
with his head, when Tom's voice recalled me to my senses. 
" Are you mad 1" lie whispered. I was too much excited to 
act in a very rational manner, and should have fired, in spite 
of the consequences, if my eye had not at that moment fallen 
upon Arana and the larger part of our force, who, not observ- 
ing the party under the trees, were advancing directly towards 
them. They were double our number, and I saw that they 
were preparing to give our men a warm reception. The flag 
had disappeared, and the time having arrived, my comrade 
sent the contents of his musket among them. Under the 
impression that they were discovered, they opened a fire upon 
Arana and his followers, who dashed among them before they 
had time to re4oad. Tom and myself reached the spot in 
time to see them routed, and I possessed myself of the flag, 
which Arana allowed me to keep as a trophy. 

The island was now cleared, and we returned to the vessels, 
which had kept up their fire without intermission, leaving the 
remnant of the Constitution's marine force, now reduced from 
fifty to twenty-eight, in possession of the thicket. On looking 
over our party we missed five — two Swedes, one Frenchman, 
one Dane, and one Irishman. The loss of the' enemy in this 
skirmish, was upwards of a hundred in killed alone. The 
crippled condition of our vessels, as we came in sight of them 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 315 

again, was enough to convince us that we could not hold out 
much longer. Two of our prizes were wallowing at their 
anchors, with their decks even with the water, their light car- 
goes not permitting them to sink any farther ; while the shot 
of the enemy were every moment crashing through the 
hulls of the ship and brig, which now resembled two immense 
strainers. From their appearance it seemed impossible that 
any one could have remained on board alive, and yet there 
was no cessation to the blaze of fire which was constantly flash- 
ing from their broadsides. The Commodore was the very per- 
fection of coolness: wrapped in a blue cloth poncho, with his 
telescope resting across his arm, his tall commanding figure 
paced the poop-deck of his shattered ship with the air of a 
conqueror, in plain sight of the whole fleet of the enemy, as if 
in derision of their skill in gunnery. 

The deck of the schooner in our line of battle was swept 

of every soul, and from its appearance it would \)e a dangerous 

position to hold; and the orders of my commander to take 

charge of the silenced guns, and let the enemy know they could 

yet do good service, were anything but agreeable to me. But 

there was no help for it, and receiving a dozen Orientals from 

the brig, the guns once more began to make themselves heard. 

The men who had just come from the Perreira, though weary 

and dispirited, had no complaints to make on the score of 

hunger, but being constantly employed in reporting the effect 

of our fire to Arana, I had not been enabled to avail myself 

, of a portion of the liberal supply of bread and cheese which 

' was abundantly supplied on board of the brig before the attack 

upon us from the thicket, and now I found myself cut off* from 

the possibility of procuring anything, from the want of a boat. 

( Hailing was of no use: the very elements were surcharged 

i with uproar, and I could not make myself heard. I was faint, 

and half famished, and in this strait my eye fell upon a piece of 

1 raw beef which was suspended from the fore-boom. An idea 

1 struck me. I looked into the caboose and saw there a pot and 



316 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

wood. This will do : with the aid of a pistol I soon had afire, 
and the beef was transferred to the utensil with the due quan- 
tum of water, and in a few minutes was seething and bubbling 
in fine style. 

A number of shot from the enemy struck the schooner, 
using up five of my twelve men. Never mind, the broth still 
bubbles. Another shot splinters up about twenty feet of the 
vessel's rail, a couple of fragments of which disable two more 
of the men. I stooped over and with a spoon tasted the calde, 
(soup:) it tasted delicious. I verily believe some envious or 
malignant rascal in the enemy's fleet saw the smile of satisfac- 
tion upon my face, and resolved to disappoint me. Two of the 
guns were loaded, and I stepped to assist in running them into 
the battery. It was lucky I did so. The object which drew 
my attention from the caboose being accomplished, I turned 
towards the smoking cuisine just in time to see a ball stave the 
cook-house in pieces, demolishing the pot of beef-tea, and scat- 
tering the fire in all directions. We succeeded in extinguish- 
ing the fire, and, as if satisfied with the mischief already 
accomplished, the enemy did not hit the schooner again while 
the firing lasted. 

It was not in human nature to continue the giant efforts of 
the people without some respite, and therefore as the shades 
of evening closed around us the fire was allowed gradually to 
slacken ; and as the enemy seemed perfectly satisfied, we ceased 
our fire altogether, and at eight p. m. the silence of the deep- 
throated cannon proclaimed rest to the weary. Nothing broke 
the stillness of the evening but the clang of the pumps on 
board of the Constitution. After transferring my wounded 
men to the brig, and posting a sentry, I shook out the folds of 
the mainsail on the deck, and rolling myself up in them, was 
soon lost to all the cares of this life in a quiet slumber. From 
this I was aroused about ten p. m. by my comrade, Tom, who 
asked me to accompany Arana in a scout. I had but little in- 
clination to exchange my present quarters for the wet grass 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 317 

of the island, but upon learning that all of our countrymen 
were going, I turned out and made my way on shore. I was 
not, however, allowed to proceed any farther than the bank, 
Arana ordering me to return and look after my charge. This 
was far more satisfactory to me and I returned, and enscon- 
cing myself once more in the sail, endeavored again to court 
repose. Being unsuccessful in this, after lying nearly an hour, 
I got up and paced the deck, watching anxiously for any de- 
monstration from the commander and his party, whose object, 
I surmised, was to cut the springs of the enemy's vessels. 

The conjecture was correct. Ere another half hour elapsed, 
a long line of flashes, followed by the rattling of musketry, 
gave notice that the work had commenced. In a few seconds 
more the rumbling of the chain cables among the Argentine 
squadron, followed by a tremendous fusilade from their whole 
line, caused me to fear that some of my comrades were losing 
the number of their mess. In about ten minutes more every- 
thing was silent again, and I looked anxiously for the return 
of the party. None appearing, I once more betook myself to 
the sail, but not to sleep. Two hours passed, and no signs of 
Arana. The sentry gave me notice of the sound of oars below 
us. I sprang to the side of the vessel nearest to the enemy, 
and leaning my head as close as possible to the water, found 
that the man had not been mistaken. Eousing the men, and 
clapping a stand of grape into each of the four twelves, in ad- 
dition to the round-shot with which they were already loaded, 
we pointed them so as to sweep the river at a small point of 
the island about two hundred yards below us. The dip of 
their muffled oars were now distinctly heard upon the still 
night air, and I knew that a couple of moments at farthest 
would bring them in sight. At this moment a low hail struck 
my ear: "Aboard la goletta, senor I toma mucho qucdon" (the 
schooner, sir ; take great care.) I turned, and discovered the 
noble figure of Garibaldi, who, ever watchful, was leaning over 
the quarter of the Constitution, " Todos esta aleiia, senor corond" 

25* 



318 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

(we are all on the alert, colonel,) I answered. "Mui buona" 
(very good.) 

There was no chance to hear more. A dozen boats sud- 
denly and silently shot from the cover of the point, and aware 
that farther concealment was impossible, they gave three 
cheers and made a rush for us. A simultaneous discharge of 
seventeen pieces of artillery, followed by a crash of shattered 
boats and loud yells, and then the sounds of a few receding 
oars told the result of the enemy's attempt at a surprise. 

I was now in hopes we should be able to rest the remain- 
der of the night, but such was not the case. One of the prize 
vessels was now brought down, and a large quantity of pow- 
der being placed in her cabin, she was set on fire and sent 
down among the enemy's fleet. This manoeuvre failed, as they 
succeeded in boarding the vessel and extinguishing the fire. 
Careless whether this last strategem was successful or not, 
the moment I could get away I returned to my quarters in the 
mainsail on board of the schooner, and slept soundly until 
aroused by the re-opening of the cannonade. I jumped up, 
and the first thing that caught my eye was the Comaaodore, 
who from the poop of the ship was shaking his fist at me. I 
was puzzled to know the cause of this. I could see by his 
gestures that he was hailing at the top of his lungs, although 
the rapid explosion of the guns prevented my hearing a word. 
This he presently became aware of, and pointing to the colors 
of the brig, his meaning was revealed. Turning around, I saw 
the flag of the schooner still lying upon the taffrail, and, 
half frightened out of my wits, I lost no time in hoisting it. 

The fire of the schooner's guns did but little execution, 
owing to the fact that a large number of nine-pound balls 
had been put on board of the brig at Montevideo, by mistake. 
The vessel mounting no guns of that description, these balls 
were of little use, as a full charge of powder would not throw 
them half way to the enemy, and we had no others left. So 
to get rid of them, the men put them into the guns three at 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 319 

a time, and dropped others overboard, until they had disposed 
of the whole. We had therefore nothing farther to do but 
watch the progress of events. 

I now for the first time missed the commander of the brig, 
Arana, but whether he was killed or wounded, I had no idea 
or means of ascertaining. The strangeness of Garibaldi's con- 
duct in prolonging the battle, led me to doubt whether there 
was any hope of escape remaining to us. Every one of our 
boats had been badly shattered, and only one was available for 
use, and this was so badly patched up that she was with diffi- 
culty forced against the current. The ship and brig were 
reduced to complete wrecks. The shot had long since given 
out, and some tons of pig iron, as well as all of the chain cable 
which could be got into the guns, were fired away; nothing 
therefore remained for us but to make as good a retreat as we 
possibly could. 

At half past ten I received orders to make preparation for 
setting the vessel on fire, and send the men on board of the 
brig. This was soon accomplished ; and having seen the fire 
well under way, I left the schooner to her fate and joined my 
comrades on board of my old craft. Here everything betokened 
our speedy abandonment of the vessel. ■ Barrels of tar, spirits 
of turpentine, paint, oil, and liquors were flawing in every 
direction, and a barrel of pitch in the main hatchway, covered 
with light kindling-stuff, was all ready to receive the torch. 
Most of the men were arming themselves for the new kind of 
life that lay before us, every man choosing such arms as best 
suited his fancy ; some few of whom loaded themselves with 
clothing, destined to be thrown away before they had got out 
of sight of the burning vessels. 

A few of our boys, determined to salute the Admiral once 
more, had loaded the after pivot-gun, leaving the rammer in 
place of a ball. At their request I assisted in running the gan 
in the battery. While engaged at this, a shot from the enemy 
struck the mainmast, and, with a stunning sensation ringing 



320 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

in my head, my senses left me and I was thrown violently upon 
the deck. It was but a moment, however, before I recovered 
myself, and being assisted upon my feet by my comrades, the 
surgeon extracted a long slender splinter of the mast, about 
half an inch square, which struck my face endways, punching 
a rather uncomfortable hole from about the middle of the left 
side of the nose through into the mouth, where,, finding no 
farther opposition to its course, it stopped. A little lint and 
balsam was applied, and feeling very sick, by the advice of the 
Burgeon I laid down in a hammock, when a half-stupor took 
possession of me, and I lost all consciousness of everything 
except that I felt very heavily. 

From this drowsiness I was aroused by a cannon-shot from 
the enemy, which burst through the deck within two feet of 
me and crashed through the side of the vessel, cutting the clues 
of the hammock in which I lay, and letting me down with a 
violent shock on the wardroom floor. Feeling stifled for want 
of air, I ascended to the deck, which, to my astonishment, was 
already deserted, while the fire was blazing furiously in the 
hatchways. The horrors of being burnt alive in the vessel 
flashed upon my fevered brain, and I shouted loudly for the 
boat, which had just reached the shore. For a moment it was 
doubtful whether they would return. The thought that none 
of the wounded had been conveyed on shore up to the time 
when I was knocked over, now occurred to me, with the sus- 
picion that the Commodore had decided to leave the poor crea- 
tures to their fate ! 

Doubtless Garibaldi's desperate condition justified such an 
extreme measure. Our little band was reduced to ninety-one, 
a number of whom were more or less wounded, but still able 
to march. We had but one boat left, with which it was utterly 
impossible to remove the wounded from on board the vessels, 
and the only alternative was to leave them to their fate. For- 
tunately for the poor fellows, they were insensible to pain, from 
a cause totally foreign from the effects of their wounds. When 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 321 

the surgeon advised me to turn in and go to sleep, after he had 
dressed my face,* he doubtless thought I was too severely 
wounded to leave the vessel ; and therefore offered me what 1 
supposed was a glass of brandy, with which, fortunately, I 
merely moistened my lips, instead of drinking it ; but it did not 
take me long to study out the whole scheme after I had got 
safely on shore, and to realize how narrowly I had escaped the 
effects of a draught intended to send me, in common with my 
wounded comrades, unconsciously into eternity. 

For my escape to the island I was indebted solely to a few 
of my own countrymen, who, recognizing me, refused to pro- 
ceed with the boat until I was landed. The most of the peoplo 
were already nearly a mile from the spot where I stepped ashore, 
and the only one remaining on the beach was a lieutenant of the 
Constitution, named Louis. This officer was likewise wounded, 
and we started after the others in company. The enemy had 
directed all their fire at our party upon the beach as soon as 
we landed, and the shot striking pretty thick around us, my 
companion proposed a run ; and as there could be no bravery 
in remaining to be shot at any longer than was necessary, we 
used our legs to the best of our ability, until we overtook Gari- 
baldi and his party. This was the most uncomfortable race I 
ever experienced. My head was swelled beyond the possibility 
of recognition, and felt like an immense lump of lead upon my 
neck. This, with a dead aching, occasioned me so much misery 
that I was on the point of throwing myself down and submitting 
to whatever fate might befall me, when Garibaldi approached, 
and taking the carbine from my shoulder, ordered me into 
the boat. 

We had now reached a point about two miles from the spot 
where we landed, and there being nothing to obstruct the view 
either of the burning vessels or the enemy's fleet, the people 
drew up on the point in military order, to witness the blowing 
up of the vessels. A number of the enemy's craft had looser^ 
their sails, preparatory to getting under way and boarding 



322 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

shattered wrecks ; but the flames pouring from them in every 
direction, warned them of their danger, and they wisely desisted. 
They had now nearly ceased their fire, a gun at intervals of 
'about five minutes still throwing shot in dangerous proximity 
to our little band. 

Hearing a sudden outcry among the people, I inquired what 
occasioned it, when one of the oarsmen pointed to the burning 
vessels, up whose masts the flames were chasing each other, 
enveloped in clouds of dense black smoke. I could just make 
out to see the figures of two men who had been driven by the 
flames from the deck of the ship to take refuge in the maintop, 
where the fire soon reached, and they ascended to the topgal- 
lantmast head. The sight of these unfortunates had occasioned 
the exitement among the people. Their fate was too dreadful 
to think of. Scarcely a moment elapsed after they gained the 
mast-head, before the brig blew up, followed almost instantly 
by the destruction of the ship. The masts of the Perreira were 
thrown up with the precision of a rocket to a great height. 
This last sight, the total disappearance of the vessels, and the 
uncertainty of what our future fate might be, almost destroyed 
the little hope and cheerfulness that still existed among tho 
men, many of whom, after facing death a thousand times since 
we left Montevideo, wept like children as the shattered frag- 
ments disappeared from sight. 

There was but little time to indulge in gloomy forebodings, 
and in five minutes more we were all in motion again, and at 
sunset we reached the northern end of the island without molest- 
ation. I afterwards learned from men who had served on board 
of the Argentine squadron in this battle, that they had been 
used so roughly they were content to let us off with all the 
honors. Had they landed a couple of hundred good men and 
pursued us, we should have been cut off to a man. The pass- 
age between the island we were on and the main land being 
nearly a mile in width, we did not reach the main with the 
boat until after dark ; but after landing the heavy articles, the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 323 

business of ferrying the men was commenced, and by ten in tbe 
evening we were all reposing beside our camp-fires in security. 
Thus ended the battle of the Costa de Bravo. 



CHAPTER XXXII.. 



Distress of the survivors — Difficulties surmounted— Short allowance — A. 
collision— The safe companion — Acute sufferings — The anaconda— The 
exploration — The Santa Lucia — Arrive at Esquina — Reception— Con- 
dition of the Puebla— The father and son — Argentine mode of express- 
ing contempt — Circulating medium. 

Everything seemed to frown upon us.. We were no sooner 
relieved from the danger of assault from our enemy, than the 
elements seemed to conspire against, us.. During the night 
the weather changed, and a drizzling rain commenced with a 
cold south-west wind, which in. a short time drenched and 
chilled us to the bone. Never since the commencement of our 
late chapter of accidents did we look so ardently for day-break, 
and never did it appear $o long in coming. But everything must 
have an end ; and at last, when our patience was nearly worn 
out, the murky light of dawn revealed to us a cheerless pros- 
pect indeed. We moved forward as soon as the morning light 
enabled us to distinguish the way,, the boat keeping along 
parallel to our line of march upon the river. I could have 
taken my place in the boat, but it was miserably cold on the 
land, and I was sure it was worse on the water- The exercise 
of marching imparted a little warmth to my chilled limbs, 
while in the boat I should have been obliged to sit cramped up 
in a very uncomfortable posture. The night before there had 
been considerable fever in my head, but the wet and cold had 
driven it all away. 

We moved from our camp without anything having been 



324 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

said about provisions, and I already began to doubt whether 
any had been saved from the vessels. Towards noon our 
progress was stopped by an immense thicket of grass, whose 
stalks reached to the height of eight and ten feet, with blades, at 
intervals of a foot, of the width of an inch and a half at their 
base. These blades or leaves varied in length according to 
the height of the stalks, each one terminating in a long sharp 
needle-shaped point of light brown color and as hard as ebony, 
similar to the thorns on the leaves of the cabbage-palm. There 
was but one way to proceed, and that was to cut our way 
through. For this purpose thirty-six of our party were selected, 
and twelve were sent ahead at a time as pioneers, armed with 
cutlasses, the parties alternately relieving each other. 

At noon we halted, and were startled at the contemplation 
of our limited means of subsistence. Whose fault it was nobody 
knew, but our whole stock of provisions consisted of a bag 
containing about one and a half bushels of small crackers, each 
of these of about the circumference of a Spanish dollar, and a 
half an inch in thickness, one of which was to serve a man for 
twenty-four hours. Many of the men, although half famished, 
on receiving this miserable allowance threw it into the river 
with every exhibition of rage and disgust. There was a heavy 
load in the boat, and some of the men spoke of a number of 
stout boxes piled in the bottom of her and covered with mus- 
kets, and one especially, whom I have previously mentioned 
as a person I had before met, openly declared that the boxes 
contained money. Whether they did or not, a little more 
care should have been taken in regard to providing for our 
subsistence. Garibaldi and his officers fared no better than 
the others in the distribution of the rations, and receiving 
each one their galletta, (term for biscuits,) the bag was repassed 
into the boat at once. 

There was no farther halt than sufficed for the distribution, 
and we again moved forward, sometimes passing through 
groves of majestic trees, at other times cutting through the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 325 

aforementioned lance-grass, and then our course would lay 
over the sandy shoals of a bend of the river, left dry by the 
subsidence of the water. In crossing one of these I discovered 
a number of shell-fish on the edge of a little pond, resembling 
the soft-shell clam of the New-England States, and I thought 
I had found a prize ; but on tasting one of them, my mouth 
was tilled with the salt slimy ooze in which the bivalves were 
imbedded. These sands were tracked in every direction by the 
different wild animals of the country, among which I noticed 
that of the deer. But none of them crossed our path ; not an 
animal was seen or heard except at night, when the yell of the 
tiger sounded frequently very close to our camp-fires. 

On the second night of our dreary journey we bivouacked 
upon a bank of sand near the edge of a wood, which afforded 
us plenty of fuel. After building our. camp-fires and comfort- 
ably disposing ourselves around them for the night, the men 
essayed to drown their cares in reviving their songs, which 
had not been indulged in by them since the halcyon days 
which preceded the battle of the Costa de Bravo. This exhi- 
bition of cheerfulness by our countrymen was very annoying 
to some of the Orientals, who now, as soldiers, assumed an air 
of superiority towards us which their force did not warrant, 
in which they were countenanced by a majority of the officers, 
who argued that although as sailors we were the ruling party 
on board the vessels, on shore the case was reversed, as we had 
no knowledge of camp-life and must be content to occupy 
a subordinate position. To impress this more forcibly upon 
us, they had appointed a long list of sergeants and corporals, 
who assumed as much authority over us as if we had been the 
native-born subjects of their military despots. These valiant 
followers of Rivera, not being in very good humor, on account 
of the privations to which we were alike subjected, commanded 
silence, through a black sergeant of marines. Of course we 
took no notice of him, when, calling to his assistance a half 
dozen others, they armed themselves with stout switches from 

28 



328 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the thicket, and rushing among our party, they laid about them 
like so many overseers in a cotton-field. I had sprung up and 
seized my carbine as they approached, which was observed by 
one of them, who flew towards and struck me, demanding what, 
I meant by the action. I gave him my answer with the butt 
of the piece over his head, which for the present made one 
opponent the less. This movement was all our party wanted, 
and the whole posse of soldiers had measured their length upon 
the ground in less than a minute. 

The camp was by this time in an uproar. The natives had 
seized their arms and rallied to rescue their comrades, while 
our party, who had all loaded their muskets, stood confronting 
them with leveled bayonets. Things looked squally, and 
I hardly know what might have happened, if Garibaldi had 
not at that instant rushed between us and demanded the cause 
of the disturbance. The native officers made their complaint, 
which was in strict accordance with what had just transpired. 
The colonel heard them to the end, and then, turning to us, 
demanded our version of the story. I gave it, at the same time 
intimating that it would be more agreeable to us to form a 
body by ourselves, as we were unused to being ruled by negroes. 
Garibaldi made no answer to this request, but ordered me to 
point out the man who struck me, who, having been only 
stunned, now stood with his head tied up among the rest of 
the black squad. This fellow he ordered to be put in the 
" safe-companion," and then gave orders that los Ingleses should 
be allowed to sing as much as they chose ; declaring that he 
was proud he had men under his command who could muster 
so much cheerfulness while suffering such privations. This 
was a settler — we were disturbed no more, and our party 
extemporized in nautical style the virtues of Garibaldi half of 
the night. It was an uncomfortable position for the rascal who 
struck me to be kept in all night, especially .as he would be 
obliged to march the next day, and I determined to intercede 
for him, which I did successfully, and thereby made a warm 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 327 

friend of one who would otherwise have been a bitter enemy. 
The " safe-companion" was a common mode of punishment 
in the service, and a most uncomfortable one at that. The 
prisoner was seated on the ground, and his wrists and ancles 
being tied together, his knees were drawn up to his chin, and 
one of his arms being forced down upon either side of the knees, 
a musket was run through between the under surface of the 
knee-joints and the upper surface of the elbows. The punish- 
ment could be augmented by the addition of extra muskets. 

In the morning Garibaldi promoted my comrade, Tom, to 
the military rank of sergeant, and likewise notified the whole 
party that I, in common with all the wounded, was exempt 
from duty. Eighteen of us were English, Irish, and American, 
and the balance of the Europeans whom we included in our 
party increased the number to thirty. These had all rallied 
around me the night before, and the most of them had urged 
me to give the word for them to pitch into the black rascals, 
declaring that they only wanted a leader ; but the experiment 
appeared too rash, and we should not have known which way 
to turn, unless we retraced our steps and surrendered to the 
Argentines, which would have been a very doubtful stroke of 
policy — something like jumping out of the frying-pan into the 
fire; I therefore persuaded them to wait for better prospects. 

! However, we mutually pledged ourselves to support each other 
in every emergency,— to the death, if necessary,— and only in 
one instance was the pledge broken. 

We left our camp as soon as the day broke. The heavy 

| drizzle still continued, and from being wet so long, the men 
were constantly seized with violent cramps, scarcely five 
minutes elapsing before some poor fellow, starting from the 
line, would rush by with loud screams of agony, in his endeavor 
to shake oflfthe gripe of the dreadful malady. During the 

'! forenoon five of the Orientals sunk under their accumulated 
miseries, and laid down to die. They were left to their fate, 
and were probably destroyed by the wild beasts. It required 



328 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

all the energies and entreaties of our party, to prevent a num- 
ber of the Europeans from following their example. At noon 
we halted for a moment, and received the same miserable 
allowance as on the preceding clay, and again pushed on. 
During the early part of the afternoon I had an attack of the 
prevailing disorder, the dreadful effects of which I had witnessed 
in the others. Words would fail to describe the agony I was 
in while they affected me. At length they ceased, and, in 
constant dread of a relapse, I hurried along, endeavoring by 
every kind of violent motion of the body to promote the 
circulation of my blood. Probably nothing tended more to 
fortify me against the dreadful scourge than a sudden fright, 
which warmed my whole frame to a feverish degree of 
exitement. 

We were advancing towards a thicket of the stout and 
thorny grass before mentioned, when the loud command to 
halt was heard at the front of the column, and the next moment 
a volley from a dozen muskets broke the stillness. I had for 
an instant seated myself upon a decayed stump, and the order 
was given to march before I had the opportunity to inquire of 
Tom the cause of delay. My foot struck some soft, yielding 
object, and as I looked down, my comrade, as if alarmed, 
shouted, " What is that?" I did not wait to answer, but with 
one spring I landed full twelve feet from the frightful object, 
amid shouts of laughter from all sides. Stretched acros3 
our path lay an immense serpent of the anaconda species, 
against which I had stumbled, and the sudden discovery of 
which had produced the effect of an electrical machine upon 
me. There was no more room for cramps. The serpent, which 
was full twenty-four feet in length, was in a state of torpor 
when discovered, probably from having recently gorged itself. 
Its thickness at the most bulky part was full two feet, but this 
was evidently caused by the undigested remains of his last 
meal. The color of the monster was a dirty black, gradually 
merging, towards its sides, into a grayish white, and on its 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 329 

belly the white assumed a yellowish hue. The paint of its 
tail, the only part in which any motion was perceptible, kept 
a continual waving from side to side. The balls from the 
muskets had crushed in the top of its head, but a glimpse of 
its jaws made my flesh creep. 

About an hour before night, a number of the men having 
become exhausted, a halt was ordered and camp-fires were 
built. In the meantime a party of a dozen or more started 
inland to make an exploration. They returned in an hour, 
and reported a dense swamp perfectly impassable to the east 
of us, by which it appeared that our course was along the sum- 
mit of a narrow ridge which separated the Parana from the 
banyous or swamps of the Entre Rios. The most southerly 
puebla of the province of Corrientes, called Esquina, was said 
to be thirty-six leagues from the Costa de Bravo. We had 
been two days on the march ; and in spite of the difficulties 
encountered, it was conjectured that we had marched thirty 
miles a day ; but forty-eight yet remained to be overcome. 
If this really was so, it was hard to say who of that party 
would survive to the termination of the journey. 

Another night, exceeding the misery of the previous one, 
passed. The rain fell in torrents, extinguishing our fires, from 
about midnight until daylight. But the storm passed, and 
with a bright and warm sun our spirits once more rose. There 
were some twelve or fifteen of the party, however, who could 
not be induced to move. Garabaldi coaxed, threatened, and 
finally was obliged to use force to get them started, which was 
at length accomplished, and the way they used their limbs, 
created a slight suspicion that their extreme debility was to 
some extent a coup dtjoossum. We were now out of the re- 
gions of the lance-grass, and the most of our way was over the 
dry sand-shoals of the river until noon, when our progress was 
impeded by a river, which here emptied into the Parana. At 
this place we could have procured alligator meat in any quan- 
tity, but we could not stop. The river was at once pronounced 

28 



330 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

to be the Santa Lucia, and after crossing by means of the 
boat, the last of our provisions was served out and we again set 
forward, 

A number of the strongest of the party were now dispatched 
up this river in the boat, who succeeded in reaching Esquina 
in an hour, and made known the state of our exhausted party 
to the commandant of the puebla, who immediately sent 
guides on horseback to pilot us through the swamp ; and at 
about five p. m. after having floundered through two miles of 
mud and mire, we entered the puebla. It being the first day 
of September, and consequently my birthday, the reader will 
please excuse me when I say that on finding npulperia, my satis- 
faction found vent in bestowing a general treat upon all hands. 

By order of the commandant of the place, a dozen cows 
were slaughtered, and the men were directed to help themselves 
to as much beef as they needed. At the same time they were 
informed that as they were not in a bread country, the proba- 
bility was that they would not see any more of that article 
until they reached Montevideo again. This was not very com- 
forting ; and perceiving that those who had money would be 
likely to fare the best, I determined to take care of mine, and 
advised my friends to do the same. 

Esquina, the southernmost puebla of the province of Cor- 
rientes, presented the mere ruins of what had been a thriving 
village. But the demon of war had been there with the torch 
and sword, and desolation now marked the square where the 
merry jmeblanos were wont to assemble. The houses, which had 
been substantially built of stone, bore evidence of having been 
strongly defended in some recent struggle. Large breaches, the 
result of a heavy cannonade, appeared in every one where any 
walls were left standing, while others were completely leveled. 
An immense telegraph station, some fifty feet in height, built 
of massive timber, had been left standing, probably on account 
of its being absolutely necessary to the interests of both par* 
ties. From the platform at the summit of this look-out a 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 331 

vast range of country could be seen, there being no woods to 
obstruct the vision. I noticed that every country village was 
provided with one of these observatories. The real cause of 
their escaping the general destruction is more often to be found 
in the fact, that they form the rallying point where the last 
stand is made, and the transfer from one party to another 
being sudden, they escaped demolition. The present garrison, 
stationed as a corps of observation to give notice of the ap- 
pearance of the enemy, was composed of a captain of the 
Correntine army and fifty militia-men. Every man in the 
country capable of bearing arms was in the field, waiting to 
join the army of invasion under Rivera, which was advancing 
from the Banda Oriental. The present judgment had been in- 
flicted upon Esquina by the Argentines, as a punishment for 
their having tampered with the salvages Unitarios, in the first 
instance ; but instead of its bringing them to submission, it had 
the contrary effect ; for as soon as ihcy received the news that 
Rivera was on the march with his army, and our squadron 
had entered the river, they entered into an alliance with him, 
and, mustering the whole strength of the province, took tho 
field. 

Alas for the instability of human affairs! The destruc- 
tion of our squadron, which the reader will recollect was de- 
signed to co-operate with that army, had already begun to 
work a revolution in their fickle minds, the effects of which 
were of the most disastrous consequence to the Oriental Presi- 
dent. On the whole, it was rather lucky for us that the prin- 
cipal part of the garrisons in the various pueblas consisted of 
worthy padres and the ladies, to whose arms, our gallant com- 
rades willingly surrendered, to the great scandal of the digni- 
taries of the church, who in one instance threatened that after 
our departure he would compel them to sweep the plaza upon 
their bare knees, and I have no doubt he kept his w r ord. 

I have mentioned the circumstance of our having taken 
three prisoners in a midnight foray on the bank of the Parana, 



332 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

within the territory of Buenos Ayres. Two of these, a father 
and son, the latter a young man of twenty-four years of age, 
had escaped through all our perils, only to meet a miserable 
fate where the balance of our party found safety. Their con- 
duct, since the abandonment of the vessels, had evinced an 
anxious desire to escape, and a strict watch had been kept 
over them. The cause of their sudden change of conduct 
was revealed immediately upon our entering the puebla, the 
commandant of which at once recognized them as the leaders 
of the troops who had brought ruin to this once beautiful spot. 
Their deportment had stamped them as superior to the com- 
mon herd, and soon after their capture they had been trans- 
ferred to the Commodore's vessel. In compliance with the 
demand of the commandant, Garabaldi surrendered them to 
the disposal of that officer, and they were at once bound hand 
and foot and confined in a room of one of the ruined houses, 
their guards being assured that they should answer for the safe 
keeping of the prisoners with their lives. They had endea- 
vored to keep a bold face upon the matter until, passing in re- 
view before the commandant as we entered the puebla, he 
pointed to the individuals in question, and remarked, " Estava- 
mos dos gallihas mui buona que usted tengo, seTwr coronet." 
(Those are two very fine chickens which you have, sir colonel ;) 
and then directing Garabaldi's attention to the ruined place, 
charged our two prisoners as the sole cause of it. The father 
was as cool as ever, and defied them to do their worst, in his 
rage spitting on the ground and stamping upon the spot, as 
expressive of the contempt in which he held them and all the 
adherents of the Oriental Government. The son was the very 
reverse : he appeared to be completely unmanned and wept 
like a child, begging for his life in the most abject manner. 
But there was no mercy for him, and he was conveyed to the 
prison with his sire, amid the taunts and jeers of the com- 
mandant and his troops, who exhibited their brutality in the 
most disgusting language. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 333 

Our men were here organized into two companies of infan- 
try ; those of the Constitution's crew forming one, the Perreira 
the other. Separate quarters in the ruins were assigned them, 
and by nightfall we were regularly established in garrison. 
Being exempt, I went where I chose, and making the acquaint- 
ance of the pulperia keeper, whose stock in trade, by the 
way, was all contained in two large wagons, I took up my 
quarters the first night with him. Indeed, it did not take 
long to discover that the man who had the " plata " (silver) 
was the most welcome guest ; and the moment a silver dollar 
passed out of my hands, its glory had departed from me 
for ever. If there was any change coming to me, a number of 
shapeless bits of the precious metal, hammered until every 
trace of its original stamp had become obliterated, was 
tendered, the value of which was estimated according to their 
size or weight, the scales to determine the latter being the 
point of the finger. But they were remarkably honest in their 
dealings, and I never lost a media (Q\ cents.) 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



Off for Egoria — Jim Cook— Our Jehu — The fright and stampede — Fate 
of the Argentine prisoners — Mode of working oxen — The Napal — The 
Estancia — The stampede — Reception — Correntine hospitality — 
Cheapness of provisions — Cassava and mandioca — Price of a horse— 
The ranch — Arrive at Egoria. 

The next morning I received notice that I was to proceed 
with the rest of the wounded, in advance of the main body, 
to Egoria, another and larger puebla, as I was told, distant six 
leagues north of Esquina. Not liking to leave my comrades, 
I requested permission from Garibaldi to remain. This request 
was denied, but the colonel told me I would not be sorry for 
the change, and that the whole force would follow in the 



334 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

course of ten or twelve days. " So look out," said he, " and 
secure a place in the wagon : it will be less tiresome than riding 
horseback.'' At nine o'clock we started, and I was much 
pleased to find I was to be accompanied by one of my own coun- 
trymen, who had transformed a remarkable healthy leg into 
a dreadful case of rheumatism, because, as he told me confiden- 
tially, " he did not like this bloody sogering." This man's 
name was James M. Cook, a native of the State of Maine. 
We made a compact for the present, he agreeing to dress my 
face and prepare the provisions, on condition that I furnished 
the money, as he had no funds. 

At the distance of three quarters of a mile from the puebla, 
a sudden fright at some object in the way caused the oxen 
which drew our wagon to sheer out of the road and go off as 
if they were mad, to the imminent danger of capsizing the 
vehicle and breaking our necks. Though somewhat alarmed 
I could not help laughing at our Jehu, who was half dead with 
fright. " Ave Maria ! pue es esta f (Holy Mary ! what is that ?) 
he groaned, with his eyes turned upwards and inwards alter- 
nately, his lengthened visage forming a picture that produced 
a burst of merriment from all hands. The wagon was a heavy, 
clumsy affair, and the animals, after indulging in a race of a 
couple of hundred yards, relapsed into a more dignified pace ; 
and their fright not inclining them to proceed in a direction 
in which the wheels mired to half the depth of the spokes in 
the soft soil, they at length stopped altogether. We were now 
in a fix, and how to get out of it was more than I could com- 
prehend. The driver was in a fever of excitement, and at 
length decided on the only feasible plan, which was to unload 
the wagon, and disconnecting the fore-wheels and axletree, 
drag them back to the road separately. 

As this would necessarily occupy some time, and I did not 
particularly care whether he got his team out of the mud or 
not, I walked back to ascertain the cause of the bovine excite- 
ment. On reaching the road, my eyes fell upon several clots 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 335 

of blood, and looking a little farther, I discovered the bodies 
of two men. I knew at the instant who they were, and goin^ 
up to them, my blood almost froze at the revelation of barba- 
rity. The father's features were fixed in all their stern fierce- 
ness, while those of the young man had the same agonized 
expression of supplication I had witnessed the day before. I 
was told that if there had been no relationship between the two 
men the younger one would have been spared ; but by a refine- 
ment of cruelty, the father was doomed to witness the dying 
agonies of his offspring before he was sacrificed himself. They 
were left to decay without the holy rites of burial, in plain 
sight of the place where, a few brief months before, they had 
commanded the perpetration of atrocities scarcely less horrible 
than the example before us. The state of the remains of the 
two men would not bear description, and I shall leave them 
to the surmises of the reader. 

We were heartily glad when the voice of our Jehu sum- 
moned us to take our place in the mail-coach, as Jim Cook 
called our wagon, and in a few moments we were again under 
way, and propelling by six ox power slowly towards Egoria. 
Our coach was precisely like the old-fashioned baggage- 
wagons, with the hoop-top covered with canvass ; the oxen 
which drew it were yoked by the horns. The driver occupied 
the forward seat in the vehicle, over the front of which 
depended a long heavy pole, the end thereof armed with a 
sharp goad, with which he was enabled to tickle the hind 
quarters of the foremost yoke of oxen : a shorter one served 
to control the movements of the middle yoke, and another still 
those nearest the wagon. The changing of these various 
instruments kept our Jehu constantly at work, so that between 
punching, whistling, chirupping, and bawling, the sweat rolled 
down his cheeks in torrents, and the oxen dashed along the 
road at a full gallop, evidently determined to run away from 
their persecutor, who kept the long pole constantly in motion. 

The country through which our road lay was of the most 



336 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

beautiful description, alternating with hill and dale, thickly 
covered with verdure ; and I found that as we progressed to 
the northward from Esquina, the monotony of the landscape 
was frequently broken by the appearance of large groves of 
palm-trees and dense thickets of the cactus and cabbage-palm. 
The napal, or Indian fig, was in full bearing, its fruit of orange, 
white, and red, peeping out from the broad fleshy leaves in 
great profusion, tempting the wayfarer to test their refreshing 
qualities at the risk of filling his hands with its subtle nettles. 
The first attempt to avail myself of this treat, convinced me 
that if I would enjoy the pleasure, I must first take lessons in 
a rather severe school of experience ; so for the present I con- 
tented myself with looking at the operations of the guachos, 
convinced that my time would come by-and-by. The presence 
of so much wood I found to be occasioned by the proximity 
of the Santa Lucia river, which here flows obliquely to the 
south-west, and enters the Parana a few leagues to the south- 
west of the puebla we had just left. The road we were traveling 
consequently lay through a peninsula, whose sides were irri- 
gated by the two rivers. 

Early in the afternoon, the appearance of an estancia in 
the distance was hailed with delight by all hands, and we 
could hardly restrain ourselves from jumping out of the wagon, 
the speed of which had materially lessened, and indulging in a 
run in our haste to get there. We however restrained our 
impatience, out of compliance to our worthy charioteer, who 
loudly deprecated such a movement, as lessening the dignity 
of his position as guide and protector of los infer mos (the sick.) 
After a dilatory progress of a mile and a half we reached the 
foot of the hill, upon the summit of which was perched the 
inviting spot. But here the poor driver was doomed to lose 
all his equanimity, by reason of the total desertion of his 
entire charge. At the foot of the hill a magnificent grove of 
orange-trees, loaded with ripe fruit, in the centre of which the 
casa (house) was embowered, revealed itself. This proved too 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 337 

much for the patience of the party ; and despite of the suppli- 
cations of the poor fellow, we all tumbled out of the vehicle, 
and amid the curses of the knight of the long goad, and the jells 
and screams of ourselves, there ensued a race in which game 
legs and broken heads competed for the honor of first reaching 
the goal. Such a race has seldom been seen, and we arrived 
just in time to see the former occupants of the casa disappear 
in the grove on the opposite side of the house, convinced that 
the perpetrators of such a stampede could be nothing less than 
dernonios (devils.) We held undisputed possession of the premi- 
ses until the arrival of the team. Our coachman was foaming 
with rage, and showered all manner of nameless maledictions 
upon los diavolos Americanos, (the American devils,) meaning 
Cook and myself, while his abuse of the native Orientals was 
conveyed in the Correntine dialect, the favorite compliment 
beieng conveyed in the words, " A nya-a-e" pronounced with 
labored force, which I afterwards found simply meant black 
devils. 

The worthy inhabitants of the esiancia, who, by the way, 
were all of the softer sex, having from their covert in the grove 
recognised the teamster as a friend, now made their appearance ; 
and judging from the dolorous looks of the latter personage, 
the scolding he received did not agree with him very well. 
Their conversation being carried on in Correntine, I could not 
understand what was said ; though from the motions and 
glances in our direction, I was aware he was laying all the 
blame on Cook and myself, in which he was not far wrong. 
But the old fellow did us but little injury, as was evinced by 
the fact that none but the los diavolos Americanos received 
any particular attention from the inmates of the casa. Cook 
and myself were the only white persons in the party, which 
circumstance of course had its due weight with our enter- 
tainers, whose complexion betrayed their Indo-Spanish ori- 
gin. They invited us into the casa, where the matte cup 
was at once tendered, to the huge digest and envy of the 

29 



338 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Orientals, at seeing the brutos Engleses (English brutes) prefer- 
red before themselves bj their own countrywomen. For the 
sake of good fellowship, I indulged in a little extra expense on 
their account. 

Daring our recent progress up the river, at those times 
when we were compelled to lie at anchor from lack of wind, 
gambling had been the principal amusement among the men, 
and the lucky few had become possessed of the greater part of 
the money. It was therefore no more than just that those who 
had, should share with those who had not, especially when from 
debility they really required something more than the beef and 
calda, (broth,) which was all the rations provided by the Gov- 
ernment. This conduct towards them served to create good 
feeling, and I may safely say there was not one of our copper- 
skins Yvrho would not go almost any length to oblige "Don 
Jaime," a name with which they had endowed me. 

After partaking of the matte, our kind entertainers placed 
before us an abundant supply «of a savory mess, compounded 
of mutton, cassava, sweet potatoes, and corn, seasoned with 
garlic and chilis, (red peppers,) followed by a dish of dried sweet 
corn boiled in milk, excellent cakes made of corn-meal, eggs, and 
milk, and fresh curds ; all which made me open my eyes with 
astonishment at the progress these good people had made in 
the epicurean art. Heretofore, when I had seen the people 
of this country at their meals, their manners were altogether 
of the primitive order. A piece of roasted meat was placed 
on a chip by each one, and, knife in hand^ they worked away 
till they were satisfied. Oranges were sold at two rials (25 
cents) per bushel ; eggs, a quartile (3 cents) per dozen ; fat 
chickens a media (6^- cents) a-piece; a cheese weighing four 
pounds, a rial; in the curd, a quartile. Corn, being scarce, was 
high, but still the price was trifling compared to its cost in the 
United States. Cassava, and the root called- the mandioca, 
from which a poisonous juice is extracted, which in its turn is 
converted into a villainous species of rum, was largely culti- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 339 

vated in the province in time of peace, and was still easily 
procured by those who could pay for it ; affording a nutritious 
substitute for wheaten bread, besides being much easier prepared 
for the table than bread. Beef and mutton were the principal 
meats, the chuncho (hog) being held in light estimation. One 
dollar had sufficed to give the whole party the means of making 
an excellent dinner, the senora refusing any recompense for 
what they had furnished to Cook and myself. 

Here were plenty of horses, and on making known my 
wish to ride on horseback, one of the finest of the drove, a 
spicy little black gelding, was quickly equipped with the 
necessary number of sheep-skins, saddle-tree, girths, etc., and 
led forward. I asked if they would sell the animal, expecting 
to obtain him for about three or four dollars. They answered 
in the affirmative. The price was next to be settled : I desired 
to know what it was. After a few moments' conference among 
themselves, they signified that I could have the horse for two 
rials j as I understood them, and I supposed I had become the 
possessor of the animal at one-sixth of the price asked for him. 
This was the result of a misunderstanding, the price being 
douze (twelve) rials, instead of dos, (two,) the mistake being 
occasioned by the manner of pronunciation, which was shorter 
than I had been accustomed to hear it spol^n. The two rials, 
which was doubtless received as a present with many thanks 
to the donor, was intended by that individual in payment for 
the horse. It was some time afterwards before this was made 
evident to me by Tom Lewis, in a lecture upon the pronun- 
ciation of Spanish by the Corrientines, at which time we were 
so far away from the good people of the estancia that there 
was no chance of correcting the mistake. 

Bidding a kindly farewell, and saluting the inmates of the 
casa, who evidently regretted to part with us, we again got 
under way, and our road at nightfall brought us to a fine 
estancia upon the bank of the Parana. This was the finest 
estate I had seen since our arrival in the province, and was 



340 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

evidently the residence of some rich hidalgo whose name I 
could not learn. It was stripped of all its furniture, and no 
one was seen in the vicinity of the massive stone building! 
Its groves of orange and lemon trees had been robbed of thei 
fruit, and nothing was found for provisions except a little 
dried corn, and for bedding, hard dry hides. These were very 
poor accommodations, and we used our utmost endeavors to 
induce our coachman to proceed, but without effect^ and we 
submitted to this decree of fate with as much equanimity of 
temper as we could muster. 

After an uncomfortable night, we started upon our journey 
without breaking our fast, and an hour's travel brought us 
to a fine little ranch, which we could easily have reached the 
evening before, where all our necessities could have been re- 
lieved, had it not been for the mulishness of our driver. I 
could have kicked the fellow for his churlish conduct, if it 
would have done any good ; but I contented myself with not 
taking any notice of him when I distributed the various arti- 
cles I procured from the rancherias, among which I must men- 
tion a large panfull of a kind of fried pie, the filling of which 
was composed of chopped meat and hard-boiled eggs. I ob- 
tained about a peck of these for four rials, and the people 
thought we had made a great bargain. 

We spent an hoflr at this ranch, and again started in high 
spirits, and after about four hours' travel, we came in sight of 
Egoria. There I bid good-bye to the old lumbering vehicle, 
and touching the horse's flank with my heel, I soon entered 
the puebla, and riding up to the first house I found inhabited, 
I alighted, and was soon installed in the best seat, with the 
complimentary matte cup steaming in my hand. 



to 

s. 

le 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 341 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Egoria — Doctor Davidson — Temptations — Transformed into a Senora — 
Lieut. Louis — Arrest — Murder of Towers — Departure of Garibaldi 
for the Capital — Corporeal punishment — The battalion march to Santa 
Lucia — Established in garrison — Peculiar feature of the country — 
Queer custom — Our family — Jealousy of the Orientals. 

Egoria I found to be a smart village containing a church, 
prison, and courts having jurisdiction over the southern dis- 
tricts of the province. In expectation of a sudden visit from 
the enemy, it was now deserted by all the inhabitants except 
two or three families, who still clung to their homes, which 
they hoped might escape the general destruction which usually 
marked the revengeful progress of the Argentine army. It 
was beautifully situated on the bank of the Parana, and con- 
tained, as near as I could judge, from one hundred and fifty to 
two hundred houses, and its population in time of peace would 
not fall much short of three thousand. I noticed some twenty 
stores, two cafe's, billiard-rooms, etc. Altogether it bore the 
stamp of a thriving, populous, and enterprising village. 

It was matter of great surprise to me that such a place 
should be left totally unprotected from the inroads of the enemy, 
a captain and some two score of militia comprising the entire 
garrison. Before the quartel, or barracks, two pieces of light 
field artillery were placed ready for service, but these would 
be next to useless in case of an attack of the enemy in force. 
The houses were all built of stone, of one story with flat roofs, 
and neatly plastered or stuccoed. These were arranged with 
great regularity, in streets intersecting each other at right 
angles. The centre of the place, as usual in all of their pue- 
blas, was occupied by the plaza, around and facing upon which 
were the church, with its chime of bells hanging to a frame- 
work of wood a few feet from the ground ; the calaboose, con- 

29* 



342 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

taining likewise the quartel and policia (police-office ;) with 
stores, cafes, and the casas of the principal of the pueblanos. In 
this square I noticed the introduction of shade-trees, which 
Were arranged with much taste, making it the finest public 
promenade I saw in the interior of the country. 

I ascertained that much of the well ordering of this place 
was to be ascribed to a Scotch gentleman, a Dr. Davidson, mho 
was the proprietor of a large property in the neighborhood, 
and who appeared to be looked up to with great respect by the 
Egorians. In hopes of seeing this person, I called at his man- 
sion, where everything betokened the opulence of its owner, 
who was absent, unfortunately, having gone to Corrientes. I 
was treated with marked politeness and hospitality by his 
family, who kindly offered me all the assistance in their power 
while I remained in the place. The Doctor claimed to exer- 
cise the functions of vice-consul for the British Government 
in the province, although I doubted his authority for doing so. 
Nevertheless, he succeeded in making Garibaldi surrender a 
countryman of his who was one of our party, much to the 
dissatisfaction of our chief. 

On the arrival of the team, the wounded were installed in 
comfortable quarters in one of the unoccupied houses in the 
southern part of the town, where I found our doctor in attend- 
ance upon them. I declined his offer to dress the wound 
in my face, and not anxious to augment his labors, he did not 
press the matter ; and although I was subject to his orders, he 
permitted me to go and do just as I pleased, without any in- 
terference or question on his part. My time passed very 
pleasantly, and I almost began to dread the appearance of the 
balance of our force, which I knew would in a great measure 
put an end to my present freedom ; for my wounds, under the 
care of an excellent family with whom I had become domi- 
cilated, was fast healing, and I should therefore have no 
excuse for not performing duty with the rest, and my feelings 
in regard to their military aspirations ran counter altogether. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 343 

My new acquaintances had informed me that the entire 
force of the province were encamped a few leagues east of the 
Banyous, and that the probability was that Garibaldi would 
endeavor to attach us to that force. This, it afterwards 
appeared, was the course he had designed to take ; but as it 
would interfere with the new view of matters which the Cor- 
ren tines entertained since the destruction of the squadron, they 
refused to accept our services, which were tendered by Gari- 
baldi. The answer of the executive of the province was very 
favorable to the interests of our party of foreigners. " Your 
men," said they, addressing Garibaldi, " are not our countrymen ; 
they are mostly Europeans or North Americans. Under your 
command they have fought nobly — we honor them for it — they 
have done their part. Conduct them back to Montevideo, pay 
them well, and discharge them, that they may return to their 
country and friends. If we were able we would reward them 
onrselves." As Dr. Davidson was a prominent man in the 
province, there can be but little doubt that such an extra- 
ordinary answer from a South American Government was 
mainly attributable to him. Be this as it may, it was certainly 
contrary to the usual policy of all the American Governments 
south of the boundaries of the United States of the North. 

This view of the case by my new friends bore such an air 
of probability that I adopted it at once, and had almost decided 
to desert from the party and accompany the Egorians to 
Corrientes, they offering to disguise me in such a manner that 
Garibaldi himself should not recognize me. But another 
difficulty was in the way, which was, that if I escaped the 
eagle-eyes of our own officers, I was certain to be impressed 
into the Correntine service. To obviate this, it was proposed 
that I should be transformed into a senora until we should 
reach the capital, when I was to be concealed until Garibaldi 
and his band should leave the province. As this plan was 
more feasible, I consented, and dresses were at once prepared. 

Eveiything was in readiness for us to start the next morn- 



344 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

ing. I was to push on in advance of the two wagons contain- 
ing the household goods of the family, with my dos hermanas 
(two sisters) on horseback. I had already donned my new 
attire, to the infinite amusement of the whole household, who 
were almost thrown into convulsions by my appearance, when 
the door of the casa was thrown open and Lieutenant Louis 
entered. I seated myself in an instant, and one of the party 
quickly making a ludicrous remark, as if continuing some 
amusing subject of conversation, the laugh was kept up and 
joined in by Louis himself. Matte was prepared and tendered 
for his acceptance, and while partaking of it he inquired as to 
the whereabouts of the infermo, who he understood had taken 
up his residence with them. On this subject they were pro- 
foundly ignorant, declaring they had not seen me for the last 
three days. This did not appear to satisfy Louis, who 
questioned them pretty sharply, but after remaining an hour 
he took his leave, saying he should have to call again, and 
advising them to find out where I was. It would have been mean 
to have subjected these kind-hearted people to any danger on 
my account, and therefore after he had gone I made known to 
them my intention of giving up the project altogether. They 
remonstrated warmly against this new determination, but fore- 
seeing the impossibility of my escape with them, I continued 
firm in my resolve. There was no time to be lost in relieving 
them from suspicion ; and throwing oft my unusual apparel and 
resuming my proper clothing, I immediately proceeded to the 
house of another acquaintance where I was wont to visit. Here 
I learned that inquiries had been made in regard to my where- 
abouts, by an officer sent for the purpose by Major Rodriguez, 
who (Garibaldi having proceeded to the city of Corrientes) was 
now in command of the battalion. As they knew nothing of 
my whereabouts, of course they could give no satisfactory 
information, and they already considered me -a deserter, and 
dispersed parties in various directions to ascertain, if possible, 
what course I had taken. Not caring to throw myself in their 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 345 

way, but preferring to give them the trouble of linding me, I 
made myself quite easy, and remained where I was through 
that night and the next day without molestation. 

It was near nine in the evening of this day, as I was sitting 
with my friends indulging in the pleasures of the matte, when 
the door suddenly burst open, and my comrade Tom Lewis made 
his appearance at the head of a guard of our Orientals. 
Laying his hand upon my shoulder, Tom pronounced me a 
prisoner, to the terror of my good friends, who all rushed for- 
ward to the rescue, thinking that harm was intended me. They 
were pacified by Tom's assurance that nothing of the kind was 
intended, and that we were, to all intents and purposes, brothers. 
With this explanation they were for the present satisfied, but 
declared their intention to accompany us to the quartet ; and 
if any violence or indignity was offered, they would resent it 
through the commandant of the puebla, who, it appeared, was 
their brother. In this they kept their word, and were only 
satisfied by the assurance of Major Rodriguez that nothing 
should harm me. For my own part, I had no fears of the kind, 
for Rodriguez had always been on very friendly terms with me. 
But I found, on again being associated with my old companions, 
that a total revolution had already taken place in the regulation 
and discipline of the troops, as I suppose they must now be called, 
the whole military code of the country having been adopted 
and rigidly enforced. 

This was anything but agreeable to me ; but as there was 
no alternative, I subscribed to Jim Cook's opinion, that we 
had got to be " bloody sojers," after all, and quietly submitted 
to my fate. This was absolutely necessary, as it was quite 
evident that the officers were empowered to go to any and 
every extremity of severity to enforce obedience on the part 
of the men. A terrible instance of this had taken place since 
I had left my comrades, resulting in the murder — for it was 
no less — of one of my countrymen. I have mentioned before 
the circumstance of my becoming acquainted with a young man 



346 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

named Towers in the cabil J a of Montevideo. This person, as 
well as the quadroon Robinson and the Englishman Rushton, 
were included in the crew of the Constitution during our ope- 
rations upon the river. The former of these three (Towers) 
was the person I refer to. He had belonged to the boat, and 
had been the author of the report that the heavy boxes con- 
tained therein were freighted with treasure, and it was generally 
surmised that this knowledge was the fatal cause of bis 
untimely end. Whether it was so or not, is only known to 
the Almighty and Col. Garibaldi. But I will relate the cir- 
cumstances. It was asserted that Towers had been guilty of 
drawing a pistol and threatening to shoot one of our French 
lieutenants. This was said to have occurred at the pulperia 
in Esquina, which I have before noticed, whither Towers 
had proceeded to obtain liquor, and at which place the French- 
man had been stationed by Garibaldi, to prevent the men 
from obtaining the means of gratifying their appetites. Towers, 
on being ordered off, refused to go, and the officer attempted to 
use force to compel him, whereupon the former took the 
liberty of defending himself, which he succeeded in doing 
without assaulting or ill-using the Frenchman in any way 
whatever. The latter personage immediately carried his com- 
plaint to Garibaldi, aggravating the circumstances of the case 
to the utmost of his power, among the rest, charging the 
unfortunate man with presenting a pistol and attempting to 
kill him. This resistance to authority was no doubt a serious 
case of insubordination, and therefore no one of the party were 
surprised at the order of arrest, by virtue of which Towers 
was placed in confinement ; but the order for the assembling 
of a drum-head court martial for the purpose of trying him 
for his life, fell like a thunderbolt upon the whole party. Tha 
more serious part of the charge was known by every one to be 
false, from the fact that all the pistols had been taken away 
from the men, except an old thing without any lock, and a pair 
of small belt pistols belonging to myself, which I refused to 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 347 

give up, having brought them into the service with me, and' 
those I had with me in Egoria. 

All this was clearly proved at this notable trial ? but a new 
order of things had been determined upon, and it v*as decided 
that an example should be made of the unfortunate man, to 
strike terror into the minds of the foreigners of" our party, 
whose conduct showed their dislike of the military character 
which the expedition had assumed* The verdict of the court 
was kept secret from the time of its rendition (three p. m.) 
until the hour of executing the sentence of death, which was 
fixed at five o'clock. Only two short hours were allowed for 
preparation, during which the foreigners- were disarmed, and 
the native Orientals were provided with ammunition in abun- 
dance to put down any attempt at rescue. Towers alone had 
been apprised of his fate, and from him our comrades had 
received the information. The idea appeared so monstrous, 
that they would not for a moment entertain it until the disarm- 
ing commenced, when the truth flashed with full force upon* 
their minds, convincing them of the hopeless condition of their 
comrade, who from the first declared his full confidence in his 
approaching execution, asserting that the sentence was simply 
the result of his knowledge of the contents of the boxes, which 
still remained in the boat at the river bank ; though why this 
should be the cause of such a sanguinary act, no one could 
conjecture. He expressed his determination to meet his fate 
like a man, and charged his comrades to avenge his death upon 
his murderer, the Frenchman. The fatal hour approached in 
which the poor fellow was to lay down his life, a sacrifice to 
his desire for a little of the paltry article, the abuse of which 
has slain its millions. The men were inarched to the spot 
selected as the place of execution, and formed in square, one 
side of which, facing the river, was left open. The prisoner, 
with his arms pinioned behind, was brought to the centre of 
the open space, where he was commanded to kneel. Pie was 
then blindfolded, and a firing party of eight having been 



348 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

advanced from the square, in one moment from the time of 
his kneeling the unfortunate man was launched into eternity 
without a struggle. Nathaniel Towers was a native of Salem, 
Mass., age4 about twenty-five years. His death was looked 
upon as a murder by the whole of our party, (exclusive of the 
Orientals and French officers,) and their expressive looks told 
Garibaldi of the deep-rooted desire for vengeance upon his pet 
officer which rankled in their bosoms. 

The day following the execution of Towers, Garibaldi 
started for the capital of the province. Previous to his depart- 
ure, however, he discharged the obnoxious officer from farther 
service for the present, advising him to keep out of the way 
of the troops until his return. He disappeared with the colonel, 
and the prevailing opinion was, that he had accompanied the 
chief upon his mission to the Correntine Government, and with 
his disappearance the matter slumbered for a time. 

The first occurrence worthy of notice, after my rejoining 
the troops, was the flogging of three Orientals for some offen- 
sive language they had used towards one of the non-commis- 
sioned officers. The chastisement was administered with great 
severity, the instrument of punishment being some half dozen 
tough switches in the hands of two of the corporals, who, their 
own grade being the insulted party, did not fail to do their 
duty to the best of their ability, cutting and mangling the backs 
of the poor wretches in the most shocking manner. After the 
flagellation was completed, the major directed the attention 
of the battalion to the shocking spectacle, and warned all to 
beware of any infringement of the code militjire. 

My friends, with whom I had proposed to escape from any 
farther connection with the Oriental party, had deferred their 
departure for the purpose of following our line of march to the 
puebla of Santa Lucia, situated upon the west bank of the 
stream of the same name, six leagues north-east of Egoria. 
For this place we marched on the fourth day after my return 
to the corps, the whole party being mounted on good horses. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 349 

Our course during this march, which was accomplished within 
one day, lay through a, beautiful country, in which ranches and 
th<> more aristocratic estancicu were more frequent than in any 
district of country we had yet seen. Sunset was glowing in 
the western horizjn as we entered the puebla, which, from the 
lack of animated objects around it, presented a rather deserted 
appearance. It contained some thirty or forty meanly-built 
bouses, the materials of which they were constructed being 
prim ipally grass and sods. The only object worthy of note in 
the puebla was the church. This was a large and very credit- 
able allair, and gave an air of dignity to the unpretending little 
plaai on which it fronted. It was a long narrow building of 
two stories and a half in height, with peaked roof and gables, 
the front on the plaza being surmounted by a neat tower con- 
taining bells, which daily and nightly, during our stay r , invited 
us to the solemn rites of the Catholic church. 

The Perreira company were quartered in one of the houses 
fronting on the plaza, while the Constitution's barracks were 
distant some four hundred yards south-east, on the bank of the 
Santa Lucia, which was here a sluggish stream of about one 
hundred yards' width, thickly inhabited by alligators, whose 
eyes were constantly glaring upon everything that approached 
the bank of the stream ; keeping at a safe distance, however, 
from that part of the bank where the people of the puebla 
were wont to do their clothes-washing and perform their daily 
ablutions ; a business the more necessary from a peculiar 
feature of the country, of which I must make mention here. 
The whole district for a considerable distance around the puebla 
of Santa Lucia was infested with lice. The sand on the bank 
of the river, the grass in the campo, and the cattle, horses, 
sheep, etc., were apparently alive with this pest. I name the 
phenomenon a pe&t, in view of our own feelings on the subject ; 
but the Santa Lucinas appeared to regard their constant presence 
as a matter of no moment. They were scrupulously clean in 
regard to both dress and person, and yet it was not unusual to 

30 



850 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

observe a dozen of the creepers making the ascent of the white 
leg of a seller's pants, or the equally spotless dress of some 
pretty senorita. Sitting upon the shady verandas during the 
sultry noon, the fair dames and damsels might be seen engaged 
in the delightful occupation of picking the vermin from e-:;cli 
other's clothing, and cracking them (now don't faint, ladies,) 
between their teeth. This last operation was at first so disgust- 
ing to me that I could not endure the sight ; but its constant 
practice in my presence soon accustomed me to look at the 
habit with as much indifference as they appeared to regard it 
themselves. On inquiring why they did not resort to some 
other method to kill the vermin, they seemed astonished at my 
apparent squeamishness, and their eyes dilated with offended 
dignity as they replied, " They bite us; it is no more than right 
that we should bite them." This reasoning, at least in one 
sense, was not to be gainsay ed, so I was contented to let it 
pass, even in the house of my friends, who had taken possess- 
ion of an empty casa at a little distance from the square, 
where they designed to remain until we left the puebla. 

I had introduced Tom Lewis to the casa, and we seldom 
occupied our quarters at the barracks except when we formed 
a part of the guard. The family with whom we had become 
associated consisted of a widow and three daughters. These 
ladies incurred the ill-will of our officers by their refusing to 
discard their American friends, meaning Tom and myself, stig- 
matizing us as " brutos que no tengo alm-i" (brutes without any 
souls,) on account of our being Protestants ; the Catholics being 
taught by their priests that all dissenters from their creed are 
without souls. To their great amazement, the simple-hearted 
creatures expressed their preference for us on that very account, 
alleging the necessity of their endeavoring to create souls within 
us, which they believed could be done by our conversion to the 
Catholic faith ; and in truth, the gentle creatures used the 
means they considered most effectual to attain that object. 
Sitting in the veranda at the quiet hour of parting day, en- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 351 

joying our matte, and beguiling the time with lively conversa- 
tion, the first stroke of the vesper bell would bring the two 
eldest of the daughters upon their knees, one before each of 
us, where they would remain with the beads of their rosaries 
in rapid motion until the last stroke had died on the still 
evening air, when their musical "good evening " told that 
another of the days of our pilgrimage had glided away. 
What was in the hearts of these kind people neither Tom nor 
myself, had even ventured to guess, and it was not until the 
evening preceding the day of our departure from the puebla 
that we learned the full extent of the hopes they had indulged 
— hopes which we would have been happy to have rendered 
certainties, if it had been possible. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



Jealousy of the Correntines — Curious salutation of the chorister — Friend 
ship established — New music — Visiting — The padre and his blessing- 
New duties — Service of the church — Oriental regard for religion — 
Wilkins — The new enterprize — Brighter hopes — The quadroon — Kusn- 
ton's account of the desperate combat between the quadroon and Du- 
frense — The alarm — The failure of our plans. 

Unfortunately, the male portion of the inhabitants we met 
with were all possessed with a determination that the whole 
body of Orientals, natives and foreigners, should not only keep 
together while they remained in the province, but that they 
should all leave together ; consequently we found the campo 
filled with scattering Correntine soldiers, who, keeping aloof 
from the puebla, managed to pick up every man who in the 
vain hope of taking up his residence in the province essayed 
to desert our ranks. One of our party, of the name of Doye, 
at length made the attempt, but was brought back after having 



352 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

a lance thrust through his hand. This fairly opened our eyes 
to the fact that % the Correntine Government either did not 
desire our presence or were afraid to permit us to remain ; as 
the most terrible denunciations had been promulgated by the 
Argentine Government against them, in case they offered aid 
or comfort to the salvages who had disturbed the peace of their 
coasts, upon whom the sentence of extermination without 
mercy had been passed. These incidents usually formed the 
subject of discussion and comment at our evening repast ; and 
as the chances of our being able to remain became less, it had 
its effect upon our friends, who at times indulged in the most 
excessive grief, which we endeavored in vain to pacify or even 
account for. 

"We had been in the puebla some three weeks, when the 
supply of bread and corn, of which there had been a small 
stock in the pulperia, having become exhausted, Tom and 
myself obtained permission from Major Kodriguez to make a 
short tour in the country, in hopes of finding something as a 
substitute. The bank of the Parana seemed the most likely 
direction in which to seek for a farm, that river being distant 
about two and a half miles to the west of the puebla. Securing 
our arms (muskets) in the best manner, to prevent them from 
inconveniencing our motions, we mounted our horses and 
skirred away from the village in quest of whatever might turn 
up. Away to the west of the town, at the distance of a mile 
and a half, was a ridge of land rising gradually to an altitude 
of near two hundred feet above the level of the puebla, and 
our object was to gain the summit of this ridge, from which 
we supposed a wide range of country could be overlooked. 

We were not disappointed, but on the contrary were more 
than repaid by the discovery of the very object we were in 
search of — a farm-house, or ranch, which was situated about 
half a mile from where we mounted the ridge.. We at once 
turned our horses' heads in that direction, and in a few moments 
rode into the corral, or enclosure before the house, and dismount- 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 353 

ed, and while in the act of tying our steeds, our ears where 
saluted with the most villainous volley of profane Engish I 
had ever heard. On turning to discover the author of this 
curious salute, our eyes fell upon a middle-aged person, whose 
complexion at once proclaimed him a full-blooded white man — 
quite a rarity, by the way, being the first we had seen among 
the dwellers in the land. The import of his language was but 
little calculated to assure us of a welcome, and we had almost 
made up our minds to re-mount and seek a more hospitable 
neighborhood, but were prevented by the ranchelro, who accost- 
ed us in good Spanish, assuring us we were heartily welcome 
to all the accommodation and refreshment his house afforded, 
and giving us to understand that he occupied the situation of 
principal chorister in the church of the puebla. 

After an introduction to his cam and family, who were all 
natives of the province, he favored us with a brief summary 
of his history. He was a native of Xeres. a town of the 
province of Estramadura, in Old Spain. In his youth he was 
a sailor and had visited England ; and as is usually the case 
with young foreigners, who are sure to acquire all the profan- 
ity and ribaldry of a language first, he had succeeded so well 
that he could swear at a mark with the worst English pirate 
that was ever heard of. Pie had the good sense, however, to 
assure us that he understood but little of the unseemly epithets 
with which our acquaintance commenced ; and perceiving that 
his guests were not well pleased with the exhibition of his 
accomplishments in that line, he presently confined himself to 
good Spanish, which he was delighted to find we understood 
well enough for all conversational purposes. 

The story of his wanderings, previous to his settlement in 
that country, possessed no points of special interest to the 
reader, other than in the fact that he was born and trained in 
early youth by pious parents, the influence of whose admonitions 
had not been forgotten, but had served to lead him to seek his 
livelihood in peaceable pursuits, to the utter exclusion of evcry- 

30* 



354 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

thing of a political nature. To secure exemption from mili- 
tary service, he had placed himself under the protection of the 
church, which was here scarcely less powerful than the political 
authority, (in truth, it in a great measure controled the latter ;) 
and being a good singer, and possessing an intimate knowledge 
of the chants, etc., of the Catholic ritual, he had been appointed 
to the dignity of chorister. He was not a land-owner, but had 
built himself a house — of the primitive order, by the way — on the 
spot of ground that best suited his taste, fenced in his lots 
with hedges, the idea of which he had got in England, and had 
plowed, planted, sowed, and gathered his harvests for twelve 
years without molestation from any one, or any one question- 
ing his right to the use of the land. He had been in the habit 
of giving a certain proportion of his yearly produce to the 
padre and his assistants, and was obliged to pay a small tax to 
the Government. 

With an air of great complacency he took us over the 
ranch and pointed out its various details, taking great pleasure, 
apparently, in enlightening us on those points in which we 
chanced to display our verdancy. The farming operations of 
our friend, for such he really proved to be, were not of any 
great extent, the quantity of land brought under cultivation not 
exceeding three acres. This, however, owing to the mildness 
of the climate, was not only worked the whole year round, but 
seemed to produce everything planted in a tenfold degree. 
A small plot of about half an acre in extent was devoted to 
Indian corn, another acre to sweet potatoes and pumpkins, and 
the remaining acre and a half was teeming with giant roots of 
the cassava and mandioca. 

After glancing at these things, our host proposed to defer 
any further examination of the ranch until we had partaken 
of some refreshment, to which we agreed, and he left us to seek 
our own amusement, while he departed in quest of a flock of 
carnciros, (sheep,) which he said were grazing somewhere in the 
neighborhood. In the meanwhile my comrade proposed a gal- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 355 

lop to the banks of the Parana, which was spread out before 
us in ail its beauty a short distance to the west. Added to the 
river's attraction was the glimpse of no less than three white 
cassaSy peeping out from as many groves of orange and lemon 
trees near the bank, which we were anxious to reconnoitre more 
closely. On our way we met our new acquaintance, who was 
slowly driving his flock towards the ranch, and coming rather 
unexpectedly upon them, they took fright, and in a moment 
were scattered in every direction, to the dismay of the poor 
chorister, who fairly sang a volley of English oaths which he 
had set to music. We endeavored to mollify his vexation by 
assisting to collect the scattered animals, and having succeeded 
in restoring harmony, we continued our race ; but before we 
got beyond hearing, I heard our host ejaculate, "Ellos corrcuido 
como el diavolo /" (They run like the devil.) 

A short ride brought us to the next grove, where, our 
approach having been observed, we were met by the inmates 
of the casa, who welcomed us with true Correntine hospitality, 
placing all they were possessed of at our disposal. All the 
occupants of the house were women and children, the men, as 
usual, being absent with the army east of the Banyous. After 
the usual introductory compliments of matte and cigarettas, 
we again started for casa number two, where the same cere- 
monies were repeated. In an hour's time we completed our 
inquisition of the houses and their pertainings, and having 
obtained as many oranges and lemons as we could conveniently 
carry, we started on our return to the friendly ranckeiros, where 
we arrived in time for the repast which had been specially pro- 
vided for our entertainment. 

We spent a merry day at the ranch, and at night returned 
to the puebla, laden with the produce of the farm, and receiv- 
ing an invitation to visit our host as often m possible. The 
Orientals were greatly annoyed at our success with the worthy 
chorister, who had failed to obtain anything from him in their 
numerous applications for a little farina, (flour of the cassava,) 



356 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

corn, potatoes, etc. He had declined on the ground that he 
was being constantly visited by parties of our men, who endea- 
vored by their pitiful stories to excite his sympathies for the 
privations to which they were exposed. " The rascals," said 
he, " in their own country don't see a piece of bread from one 
end of the year to the other, and now one would think from 
their complaints, that they could not do without it. If I were 
to give them anything, they would sell it at the pulperia ; but 
with you," he continued, " the case is different. You have 
always been used to better living, and therefore the want of 
bread is severely felt. I have been in your country, and I was 
always very kindly treated, and for that reason I wish to help 
you." We offered him money for his cassava, corn, potatoes, 
and various other articles we had bagged, but he would not 
accept of a media, which, in a country where all appeared 
to be anxious to obtain money, was the best evidence of his 
sincerity ; nor did he relax in his generosity during our stay. 

As I had always worn my rosary and crucifix, it had not 
escaped the notice of our Oriental comrades, who on that ac- 
count most generally spoke of me as a good Catholic ; but when 
the foreigners were spoken of collectively, there was no excep- 
tion made, unless it happened that the speaker was some partic- 
ular friend of mine. The family with whom Tom and myself 
resided were uncertain upon this point, as I had always dodged 
the question, leaving them still in the dark ; but whether I had 
been pointed out to the old gray-headed padre of the igraja 
(church) as un bueno christian, I cannot say. Certain it is, his 
manner was much more kind to me than towards any of the 
rest of our party, and he never passed me without his audible 
" Benedicite, mi hijo!" (Bless thee, my son,) which I usually 
answered with a low bow. 

We had been quartered in the puebla about three weeks, 
when I was waited upon by one of the assistants at the church, 
who, after giving notice of the fact that the corpse of a deceased 
person was to be brought in from the country to be interred in 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 357 

the campo santo (graveyard) adjoining the church, requested 
my assistance in the ceremony of conveying the defunct from 
the outskirts of the puebla to the church. As this was no great 
matter, I consented, and, on repairing to the spot, was appointed 
by the padre to carry the cross in front of the procession. This 
symbol was of massive silver, and, as near as I could judge, of 
about five pounds' weight. It was fixed into the centre of a 
crimson-cushioned stool of about ten by fourteen inches in 
dimensions. Holding this before me, I was directed to walk at 
the head of the procession, keeping about four paces in advance, 
until the church door was reached, when I was directed to 
step to the left of the approaching company and elevate the 
symbol, remaining until the whole had passed in, when I was 
to proceed to the altar, and depositing my charge, my service 
was at an end. 

This little circumstance served to give me an increased 
respect in the eyes of the Orientals, both officers and privates, 
and by the major's orders I was, for the remainder of our stay 
in the puebla, excused from any other duty. For this privilege 
I was likewise indebted to the worthy padre. I found that he 
regarded the heretical Ingleses with much more favor than he 
did the Catholic Orientals, among whom there was but little 
religion of any kind, a fact of which the old gentleman seemed 
perfectly well aware, and of which I observed evidences daily, 

i One instance in particular to which my attention was directed 
excited my indignation. The wall of the south-western end 
of the building behind the high altar was elaborately ornament- 
ed with a representation of the Blessed Virgin and the infant 

! Savior, a subject perfectly understood by the meanest intellect 
in Catholic countries, where it is almost continually before 
their eyes. This painting, which was really a creditable pro- 
duction of the artist, who was said to have been a native of 
the province and self-taught, was the source of attraction to 
parties of our men whenever the church was opened. I was 
standing at the door one Sunday morning during the perform- 



358 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

ance of mass, and directly before me were a party of our gauchos, 
freely commenting on the subject of this painting, and I found 
that the common epithet bestowed upon the principal figure 
was g/anputa, (great whore,) the frequent repetition of which, 
accompanied with loud bursts of laughter, evinced their little 
respect for holy mother church; this, too, from those who 
would have heaped all the insults and contumely of the whole 
party on the heretics, had they dared to speak disrespectfully 
of the object of their derision. 

Another project fell under our consideration about this time, 
originated by the visit of an American mulatto to our party. 
This man, whose name was Wilkins, informed me that a Cor- 
rentine gun-boat was lying at the bank of the river, about six 
miles from the Puebla. After discussing the various chances 
of the attempt with a half-dozen of the best men of our party, 
it was resolved to get possession of the gun-boat and make our 
escape by way of the river, for which purpose a party of twelve 
were selected. Tom and myself had permission to go and come 
as we pleased, provided we reported ourselves at the command- 
ant's house at least once ever}' forty-eight hours. The mulatto 
Wilkins, who was a stout fellow, belonged to the gun-boat and 
was fully in the secret; and we depended in a great measure 
on his co-operation, as having a friend in the enemy's camp 
would conduce much to the success of the enterprize. 

Rodriguez had become very indulgent to the men, allow- 
ing, at times, twenty or thirty to absent themselves from the 
barracks at once, their leave of absence, however, not extend- 
ing beyond twelve hours at a time. This was sufficient for 
our purpose ; and as it was uncertain how long the gun-boat 
would remain in her present position, it was resolved to make 
the attempt the next day. Everything seemed to favor us. 
The commandant was in the best of humor, and gave permis- 
sion to the whole of our party to absent themselves from the 
various roll-calls of the company. We were up at daybreak, 
making preparations for our start, which being completed, those 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 359 

who were to proceed on foot left in high spirits, taking the 
direction towards Egoria, in which they were to continue only 
until they were free from observation from the pucbla, when 
they were to make for the bank of the Parana by means of a 
deep gully formed by the spring rains, but which was now 
dry. An hour later Tom and myself mounted and pushed 
for the ranch of our old friend the chorister, where we re- 
mained until noon. Wilkinshad apprised me of the regular 
routine of life on board, and we had determined to make our 
attempt while the commander was enjoying his daily siesta, 
(nap,) which was from one to three p. m. 

After dining with our host we started on foot for the ap- 
pointed rendezvous, which was the mouth of the gulley where 
it discharged its waters into the river. The place was heavily 
wooded with a dense undergrowth of bushes and vines, which 
were woven into an almost impenetrable mass, totally exclu- 
ding the sunlight and rendering the effluvium from the decom- 
position of its rank vegetation almost unbearable. This 
thicket extended to within some three hundred yards of the 
water's edge, the bank of which was worn down to a smooth 
sand beach. At the upper point of the bank lay the object 
of our desire, — a fine little schooner yacht, of about fifteen 
tons' burthen, — with the sunbeams glancing from a highly 
polished brass nine-pounder, perched upon its pivot beneath 
the ample lug-foresail, which hung in its brails, evidently for 
the purpose of airing. The idea of her getting under way did 
not enter our heads, so sure were we of being on our way down 
the river on board of her ere nightfall. 

We gained the covert unobserved by any one on board of 
the vessel except Wilkins, who was anxiously on the look-out 
for us, and who had, according to agreement, made th 5* signal, 
" All's right," by hanging a red shirt, which he had been wash- 
ing, in the fore-rigging of the vessel. Screened from all ob- 
servation, our next object was to discover the precise locality 
of our comrades, for which purpose we had contrived a signal, 



360 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

viz : an imitation by Tom of the call of the cha-ha, a bird of 
which I have made some mention. Tom's performance almost 
surpassed the original, and the rustling in the bushes at a lit- 
tle distance from us gave notice of the men's approach, and 
presently they made their appearance. Among them was the 
quadroon Robinson, whom I have mentioned as the comrade 
of Towers in the cabilda of Montevideo. The face of this 
man betrayed a sort of ferocious glee, strangely out of keeping 
with his usual quiet demeanor. His eyes had become blood- 
shot and they glared with the fierceness of a demon. He was 
covered with mire from head to foot, and it was with great 
difficulty we could keep him quiet. On inquiry, the carpenter 
Rushton gave me the following account : 

"After leaving the puebla this morning, we entered the 
gully at about a mile's distance upon the Egoria road ; and an- 
other half mile brought us to a small ranch, where we were invi- 
ted to remain to dinner. There were only two women in the 
ranch, but they told us a French officer belonging to the gente 
Oriental (people) resided with them. On receiving a descrip- 
tion of this officer, we knew at once it could be no other than 
Dufrense, which was the name of the murderer of Towers. They 
also told us that he had gone over to the Parana, and represent- 
ed him as being sonsi (crazy.) Robinson (whose real name was 
Auguste Tavanier) expressed his hopes that we might meet 
him, and in our farther progress towards the river, managed 
to keep some distance ahead of the rest of us. Before w r e had 
got two miles from the ranch we meet Dufrense on his return. 
On seeing us he made a movement towards the wood, which 
was at a little distance to the left ; but perceiving our muskets 
all leveled at him, he stopped and called out, ' You will not 
murder 1he V He was unarmed, with the exception of a large 
knife, which did not escape the notice of Robinson, who ap- 
proached sufficiently near to prevent the Frenchman's escape, 
and dropped his musket, after, with singular coolness and 
sagacity, throwing open the pan of the lock and spilling the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS^ 361 

priming on the ground : then waving his hand to the rest of 
us, he shouted, l You all stay there.' The next moment the 
bright blades of the two men flashed in the sunlight, and a 
regular series of cuts and thrusts, with the usual parries, 
ensued. But we soon perceived the Frenchman was the best 
man at this business* This was likewise evident to Eobinson, 
who suddenly rushed inside of Dufrense's guard, and struck 
him a tremendous blow with his fist full in the jaw. Dropping 
his knife, in his astonishment at this sudden movement, the 
miserable wretch measured his length on the ground. In a 
twinkling Robinson picked up the knives and tossed them 
over to our custody. Meanwhile the Frenchman sprung to 
his feet and started for the wood. In an instant we aimed for 
him, but Eobinson called out not to fire, and darted after hira 
with the speed of a chafed tiger. The wood here rose out of 
a miry swamp, and Dufrense was already struggling in it up 
to his knees, when Robinson overtook him. Perceiving es- 
cape impossible, he once more turned at bay, and they both 
clasped each other in a final embrace. For an instant (said 
Rushton) they glared into each other's eyes, their hot breath 
commingling together ; but no word was spoken by either, 
save once when the name of ' Towers' came hissing from the 
lips of Robinson, and the next instant they rolled in the mire 
together. For a couple of moments the struggles of the two 
were almost superhuman. They were evenly matched, but at 
length their exertions grew less violent and then ceased alto- 
gether, our comrade being uppermost ; but what he was doing 
we could not make out until he returned to us, when his 
bloody lips told us he had accomplished the threat he had 
often made — that he would taste his blood if he ever encoun- 
tered him in a suitable place. The body had been sunk by the 
weight of Robinson, so as to be out of all observation, and 
after kicking and clawing the mire partially over it, Robinson 
rejoined us, and throwing himself down upon the ground, he 
wept like a whipped child for some time. Concealing all 

31 



362 vvvild oats sowings. 

traces of the scuffle, and hurling Dufrense's knife far into the 
jungle, we continued our course to this place, where we have 
been watching the gun-boat over three hours." 

In answer to our inquiries, Rushton said that the sails of 
the vessel were loosed about noon. At this moment the report 
of a musket in the hands of Robinson spoiled the whole scheme 
we had planned with so much care. It was discharged through 
carelessness in handling : a small twig catching the trigger, 
which was defective, the piece went off at half-cock, sending 
the ball whistling far out into the river. In an instant the 
people on board of the gun-boat were on the alert, and to our 
great disappointment we beheld the fastenings cast off, and the 
beautiful little craft made sail and soon disappeared behind a 
point of the river some seven miles above us. There was not 
sufficient time for us to follow her, and with faded hopes we 
turned our steps towards the puebla, after having assisted 
Robinson to cleanse himself from the effects of his late des- 
perate encounter. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



Pleasant amusements — Palmas — Neustro tio— Surprised — Our escort to 
the puebla — Malicious wit of our companions — Relief — Flagellations 
— A change of affairs — Uniforms — Burials— Letters to the Virgin Mary 
— Garibaldi's plot foiled — The fandango — A call from the padre — Don 
Francisco — My arrest — Rage of the padre — Sacrilege — My fun spoiled 
— Recovery of the cross and arrest of Francisco — Lost favor — Rumors 
— Arrival of Garibaldi. 

In continual excursions into the country, our time passed 
very pleasantly. Thanks to our good friend -the chorister, 
our table was better supplied than that of Major Rodriguez or 
any of his officers ; besides which, we frequently indulged in 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 363 

rides with the girls of our household, who ride much better than 
we did, sitting upon their horses after the European fashion, 
without saddles of any kind. But this style of riding they only 
indulged in until we had passed out of the puebla, when they 
resorted to their own fashion, in spite of all of our remonstrances. 
Our usual destination at these times was the forests of palms, 
about six miles east of the puebla. This species of the palm 
bore a small, sweet, and very oily nut, of which we were very 
fond, in shape resembling the pecan of the north. Besides 
this, we found here the finest flavored palm-cabbages, which, 
however, cost their full value in me difficulty of obtaining 
them. In these palmas (literally, sea of palms) we would spend 
the day, and return at night laden with the fruits of our labor. 

About this time, (our fifth week in the puebla,) in one of 
our excursions to the palmas, our companions proposed we 
should continue on some four miles farther east, to the residence 
of an uncle of theirs, to visit whom we had received several 
invitations, which we had been obliged to decline in conse- 
quence of the major's repealed refusal to extend our limits 
beyond the boundary of the palmas. However, as he was 
usually very complaisant, I determined to weary him with 
my importunities until I obtained his consent. At last the 
major, after saying he believed the girls would run away with 
Tom and me, hinted that if we voluntarily broke the regulation 
we would not be very hardly dealt with ; but he could not 
give us permission, as others would expect the same favor. 
This was enough, and we readily consented to the proposal of 
our fair friends, and a pleasant trot of an hour brought us to 
the casa of neustro tio, (our uncle,) where we were kindly 
received. 

It was the usual dinner hour of the family when we arrived, 
and after the salutations of welcome from the whole household, 
seats were arranged around the table, and the old gentleman 
took his seat at the head and slowly repeated, " Venge todos, 
sin uno" (come all, save one.) "Who's that?" says Tom, 



364 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

looking at me with surprise. I was as much mystified as my 
comrade, but the girls motioned us to our seats, and for the 
present the circumstance was forgotten. We passed the time 
very pleasantly until the middle of the afternoon, when we 
were surprised by the appearance of half a dozen Correntine 
soldiers, who subjected us all to a strict examination, and finally 
decided that los Ingleses were deserters, and ordered us to 
prepare to accompany them to the puebla forthwith. The old 
gentleman coaxed, begged, and threatened by turns, but they 
were inexorable, and we finally mounted and set out on our 
return, closely followed hy our escort, who were constantly 
annoyed by Juanitta and Marie, whose malicious little tongues 
were continually wagging in derision of their gallantry in 
arresting two unarmed strangers and two poor girls, saying 
they verily believed they would run like frightened sheep if we 
had only taken the precaution to bring our arms with us ; and 
finally they declared their intention to propose a grand fan- 
dango in honor of their valorous deeds as soon as we entered 
the puebla. The poor fellows laughed, swore, and fidgeted 
by turns, as the girls varied their sallies of wit from one sub- 
ject to another, while Tom and myself rode along almost 
bursting with laughter, but still vexed at the idea of having 
been caught outside of the bounds prescribed by the regulations. 

We at length reached the bank of Santa Lucia, which we 
were obliged to cross in these excursions. On our entering the 
stream the escort halted until we had gained the opposite bank, 
when wishing us a good time for the rest of our journey, they 
wheeled their horses and galloped off, followed by the shouts 
of the two witches, who pressed them strongly to come over 
and partake of theJ^ospitality of their casa ; while we congrat- 
ulated ourselves upon having escaped a public reprimand from 
the major, which would have had the effect of lessening us in 
the eyes of the Orientals, who were savage in their jealousy at 
any privilege bestowed upon us. 

A little affair at length placed our party of foreigners in 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 365 

the ascendancy. Three of our black Orientals had broken into 
one of the houses at night, and taken the liberty of appropria- 
ting to their own uses whatever they pleased, including the 
inmates themselves. Although the latter were of known bad 
character, yet upon their complaint the offenders were con- 
victed and sentenced to three hundred lashes each ; and to 
insure their being well laid on, at the instance of the padre, los 
Ingleses were selected to officiate as executioners of the sentence. 
Robinson, Kushton, Tom Lewis, and Cook, were the four 
chosen, and they performed the ceremony to the satisfaction of 
the good padre, who pronounced his blessing upon them before 
the assembled battalion. The spirit of enmity was now broken 
up, and henceforth the blacks and copperskins occupied about 
the same position as they did on board of the vessels. The 
non-commissioned officers were selected from our party, and 
I received the appointment of camp-master, equivalent to 
quartermaster in the army. 

Fandangoes, tertulias, etc., now became all the rage, and 
nightly the commandant's house was crowded with the most 
beautiful senoras and senoritas of the puebla and the surrounding 
country. All this was in anticipation of our early departure, 
Garibaldi having sent word that he should start from the 
capital at an early date. A suit of uniform for each one was 
likewise sent, consisting of white pants, shirts, blue ponchos, and 
caps, trimmed with red cord. With these uniforms came a 
sum of money to be distributed to the men, which was done in 
sums varying from two to twenty-five dollars per man. All of 
these circumstances were ominous of the disposal to be made of 
us, and we anxiously awaited the farther development of affairs. 

In the meanwhile another requisition was made upon my 
services by the worthy padre, to assist at the burial of a young 
child. The corpse of the deceased, a girl of about eight years, 
was laid out in great state in a pure white satin dress and 
slippers, the arms crossed upon the breast, while in the right 
hand, resting upon the left breast, was held a neatly folded 

31* 



366 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

piece of white paper. This, on inquiry, I found to be a letter 
to the Virgin Mary, recommending the spirit of the deceased 
to the tender care and love of the mother of our Savior. The 
corpse was crowned with a chaplet of roses, and flowers were 
thickly strewed over the whole bier, at the head and foot of 
which lighted candles were borne, and a choir of singers, with 
two men leading with violins, played and sang an air more 
befitting a wedding than a funeral. In this light it was gene- 
rally looked upon by the people, and therefore the occasion was 
considered as one of joy rather than of sorrow ; the people 
congratulating the family and relatives upon having added a 
new member to the household of heaven ; and they in turn 
danced and capered in the most frantic manner. I was assured 
that the spirits of those who died young were without sin, and 
became intercessors with the Virgin in behalf of the older and 
consequently the more sinful members of the family. 

From this ceremony I was called away to join, a party of 
about thirty, including all the foreigners, who were ordered 
to take charge of two of the Correntine gun-boats then lying 
at Egoria. In an hour we were on horseback and proceeding 
at a smart pace towards that place ; but we might as well have 
taken our time, for on our arrival the commandant of the 
puebla refused to surrender them into our possession, on the 
grounds that he had received no order to do so from his 
Government. It w r as afterwards ascertained that the whole 
affair was a ruse of the colonel's, who wished to create the 
nucleus of a fleet or squadron by which he could command the 
river. Had this notable scheme succeeded, not one of the party 
would have ever reached the coast. Our force was strong 
enough to have seized the vessels, but the wary commandant 
had placed them beyond our reach, and we had to return the 
way w r e came. This we were not sorry to do, as the life 
offered by the gun-boat service was anything but pleasant. 

Our return was hailed with joy by our friends, who had 
already begun to think of removing to Egoria, as that place was 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 367 

said to have been fixed upon as the rendezvous of the naval 
force of the province. But their pleasure was destined to be 
of short duration. These simple-hearted people were .not 
accustomed to look far ahead in their calculations, and Tom 
and myself proposed to give a grand fandango on the occasion. 
In pursuance of this project we commenced making prepara- 
tions, and we did all in our power to make it excel anything of 
the kind that had been given since our advent to the puebla. 

The day came on which the frolic was to be held ; but to 
my consternation, while in the midst of the hurry of prepa- 
ration, I received a call from the padre on the usual business of 
a funeral. The call could not have been made at a more inop- 
portune moment, but there was no help for it ; so wishing all 
the dead quietly in their graves, I took the shortest way to the 
worthy father's house, and laying my case before him, begged 
to be excused from duty in the present instance. The old 
gentleman heard me to the end, and after gently reproving me 
for preferring the pleasures of the world before the service of 
the church, he agreed to excuse me if I would find a suitable 
person to fill my place. This I promised to do, and thanking 
the kind old man, I made my way to the commandant's 
quarters, where I found the individual I had already fixed upon 
as the most proper person for the business. He was a young 
Spaniard by the name of Sanchez, and had held the post of 
commissary or purser on board of the vessels, though for what 
purpose the office was filled I could never discover, as he was 
never called upon for the performance of any duty, and had 
therefore been classed by our party as a sort of ship's cousin. 
He had been a favorite of Commandant Arana, since whose 
death he had been left uncared for, although every one liked 
Don Francisco, as he was always called. In organizing the 
battalion he had been still rated as commissary, and the duty 
of providing the rations of beef for the men was assigned him. 
He was quiet and gentle in his manners, and from the first we 
had been on the best of terms, and I therefore felt confident of 



368 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

my man. There was one fault about him, — an unusual one in 
a Spaniard — which he had undoubtedly acquired from inti- 
macy with his late friend Arana, that is, drinking to excess, in 
which he showed that he had been an apt scholar. But Don 
Francisco's money had long since been spent, and the only 
chance he now had of obtaining liquor, was by secreting a 
choice piece of beef at the carneada (beef slaughter) for the 
keeper of the pulperia. This little service secured him his grog 
from day to day, and no one ever took the trouble of inquiring 
how he managed to keep upon such good terms with the 
merchant. On making known my wishes, he readily agreed 
to oblige me ; and after lending him a couple of rials, I went 
about my business, overjoyed at the good luck I had met with 
in finding so willing a substitute. 

Everything went on well. The house was filled with com- 
pany ere the middle of the afternoon, and I was indulging the 
hope of a glorious time in the evening, when, to my surprise 
and the confusion of the whole company, a guard of men 
under Louis entered and arrested me, marching me off to the 
commandant's. Here, upon the right hand of Major Rodri- 
guez, stood the old padre, his features swelling with passion, 
while his eyes glared upon me as if he would have annihilated 
me with a look. Without waiting for the major to put a ques- 
tion, he yelled at the top of his lungs, " The cross ! the cross V* 
and then spitting upon the ground and stamping on it in a most 
unclerical manner, (a favorite way of expressing contempt in 
that country,) he finished by declaring that it would be better 
I had never been born, if I did not find the cross and the bearer 
of it in the late funeral, forthwith. " You hear," said Rodri- 
guez, eyeing me sternly. " I give you two hours to produce 
the cross and bring your confederate before me." I attempted 
to exculpate myself, but he would not hear a word, and the old 
padre waddled off, declaring his intention of writing to the « 
vicar-general of the province a full acount of the sacrilegious 
insult which had been offered to Holy Mother Church. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 369 

After the old man departed, Rodriguez listened to my ex- 
planation, when he acknowledged that the affair appeared in a 
very different light, as far as I was concerned, to what it had 
before from the padre's story. " But you must find that bora- 
chio" (drunkard,) said he, "and then we shall see what is to 
be done farther,'* In this business I determined to enlist Rob- 
inson, and proceeded to the quartel (barrack) in search of him, 
but not finding him there, I turned my steps, with more suc- 
cess, to the pulperia. On making known the state of affairs to 
Robinson, he agreed to find the delinquent in an hour, if he 
was within a mile of the puebla, saying he had seen him drunk 
just before nightfall ; and pointing behind the counter of the 
pulperia, my eyes fell upon the cross ! The keeper of the place, 
in answer to my inquiry as to how it came there, told me that 
Don Francisco had brought it in, and offered it as security for 
a bottle of aguadwnte. " But," said he, " I knew where the 
cross belonged, and Francisco being drunk, I took charge of 
it, and have been expecting some one for it these two hours. 
You can take it into your care, as I have seen it in your pos- 
session a number of times : you doubtless know where its proper 
place is, and when it is delivered up there will be no farther 
trouble." I told him the mischief was already done, and in- 
formed him of the present state of the case. The poor fellow 
was as badly frightened as I had been. " Ave Maria santissi- 
maP he groaned, crossing himself; "I shall be driven from 
the puebla ! Madre de Dios ! who would have thought it 
would have come to this ! What shall we do ?" I told him 
he must lose no time in taking the sacred emblem to the com- 
mandant's and relating the story of his connection with the 
affair. To this he consented with considerable demurring, after 
finding I would not relieve him of the responsibility ; and I 
started to assist in the search for the author of this dangerous 
freak. Robinson failed in his efforts to find the delinquent 
within the hour, as he had promised, and at the expiration of 
the two hours assigned me I presented myself before the major 



370 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



and reported my failure to find the culprit, and begged permis- 
sion to postpone the farther search for Francisco until the 
morrow. 

The padre was again in attendance, in answer to the sum- 
mons to hear the story of the keeper of the pulperia and to 
receive the cross. The old man's fury had in a great measure 
subsided, but I could see I had fallen from his good graces, which 
did not trouble me much, however, as we daily expected the 
arrival of Garibaldi, which would be the signal for our depart- 
ure from the puebla. But the old fellow's wrath broke out 
afresh at the request I had just made, and after a liberal supply 
of vituperation and abuse, in which he made use of language 
I should have been afraid to utter, bad as I was, he assured me 
I should have no rest until the missing party was found. This 
was so aggravating to me, that I determined to do as I pleased 
until the morning. I therefore proceeded to my quarters, and 
had just made an end of relating my trouble to the household, 
when I caught sight of one of the subordinates of the padre 
among the crowd, and finding I was under a strict watch in 
every direction, I once more proceeded on the ungrateful errand, 
accompanied by Tom and the whole posse of the English and 
Americans of the party. For four long hours we ranged in 
every direction without success, and had already begun to con- 
sider farther searching in the dark as useless, when some one 
proposed that we should try the washing-place on the bank of 
the river. Surprized that we had not thought of it before, we 
proceeded at once to the usual crossing-place, and there the 
search ended. The approach of our party roused the culprit 
from his drunken slumbers, and words would hardly convey an 
idea of his terror after hearing a recital of what had taken 
place. After conveying him to the commandant's, he was 
delivered to the custody of the officer of the day, by whose 
direction he was confined in the yard of the quartel of the Per- 
reira's company. Here I saw him in the morning laid upon 
his back on the ground, his limbs stretched as far apart as 



: 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 371 

possible, in which position they were confined by the wrists and 
ancles being firmly lashed to bayonets driven into the ground. 
This method of disposing of a prisoner was called making a 
spread-eagle of him. But this confinement was only to secure 
the prisoner, in the present instance, from the chances of escape. 
I was at length exonerated, by the ecclesiastical and military 
authorities, from the suspicion of having taken any active part 
in the sacrilege, but I believe I was considered the worst of 
the two by the old padre, who appeared to have forgotten that 
he had excused me himself; and therefore, he should have con- 
sidered that the mischief, as far as I was concerned, lay at his 
own door. However, I was relieved from farther danger, but 
with the loss of church patronage and the anticipated pleasures 
of the fandango, which latter, by the way, became the basis of 
a standing joke which caused me not a little annoyance; the 
Orientals, after a night of fatigue and exposure, ever afterwards 
comparing it to Don Jaimes' fandango in Santa Lucia. 

All sorts of warlike rumors and alarms were now in circu- 
lation, (our seventh week in the puebla.) At one time it was 
reported that the savages were assembling in large numbers 
upon the western bank of the Parana, and our guards were 
accordingly doubled in expectation of an attack, and the place 
became the rendezvous of the Correntine videttes, who were 
prowling around us in every direction. All this maneuvering 
convinced us that something unusual was in the wind, but what 
it was we could not discover, as the Correntine soldiers were 
unsociable and appeared to regard us with an ill-concealed dis- 
like. In this dilemma we had recourse to the girls, who after 
a little feminine strategy succeeded in obtaining the informa- 
tion that the Buenos Ayrean army were on their march for the 
province, with the determination to compel its Government to 
surrender Garibaldi and the remains of his force to them. This 
was not very comforting news, and we began to be anxious for 
the appearance of our chief, who at length made his entrance 
into the puebla on the 28th of October. 



372 wild oats sowiNGS- 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



Hurried preparations for departure — Proposals — Notified to quit the 
province — Position of the hostile armies— Their numerical strength 
— Patroling — Adieu to our friends — The march commenced — Emotions 
— Passage of the Banyous — An uncomfortable night — Terre firma — 
Belief— Poron gas — The Carneada— Cruelty to animals — Training of 
boys — Correntine camp — Our services rejected — Crossing the Uruguay. 

Upon the instant of Garibaldi's arrival, he issued orders 
to the battalion to provide themselves with riding gear in the 
shortest possible time, as we were to march on the morrow at 
sunrise. A pile of dry hides was the source from which the 
men speedily drew the material out of which bridles, girths, 
manudores, (tethers,) and saddle-cloths of every design that 
was ever thought of, were constructed. Bits were not to be 
procured, and the under jaws of the horses were therefore, en- 
circled with a small thong of the same material, to which the 
bridle-reins were attached, and by nightfall every man was pro- 
vided with a suit of horse-furniture. I was already furnished 
with everything necessary, and a few others of the party 
were equally fortunate, and we passed the afternoon with our 
friends, with whom we were so soon to part. The suddenness 
of the notice had created quite an excitement among our 
household, and our amigos (friends) had but one plan in their 
minds, which, however, they urged us to put into execution 
forthwith ; but there was not even a shadow of success in at- 
tempting disguises, and therefore we remained firm in our re- 
fusal to make use of the means they had provided. Two gau- 
chos suits of clothing, complete in every respect, hung upon 
the wall of the room, strong and fresh horses were at the door, 
and within five minutes of the ceasing of the vesper-bell, a 
little Indian guide, who had already received his instructions 
in regard to our destination, presented himself ready to spring 
into the saddle and be off with us. 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 373 

Chir opportunities of learning the extent of the Correntine 
precautionary measures to ensure our departure were much 
greater than those of our friends, and we had recently learned 
that our present burry was occasioned by a positive order of the 
Government for us to depart, accompanied with the hint that 
should the Buenos Ayreans continue to advance northward, 
we might find our retreat cut off when it was too late, while 
at the same time they acknowledged their inability to protect 
us. They had learned of the attempt of Garibaldi to get the 
gun-boats into his possession, which, as a natural consequence, 
tended almost to create an open rupture. But the belligerent 
armies were now in the Entre Rios, and although the force of 
the Argentines under Oribe and Ortize, was superior by five 
thousand men to that of Don Fructuosa Rivera, yet as the lat- 
ter was acknowledged by all to be the best General, and 
famous for gaining victories over far superior forces with in- 
ferior means, the course to be pursued by the Correntine Gene- 
ral was yet doubtful. Rivera's entrance into the Peninsula 
had just served to check the farther progress of Oribe towards 
the Correntine capital, and a complete lull in their operations 
had taken place, during which the three armies occupied the 
points of a triangle from fifty to seventy miles apart ; the po- 
sition of the provincial forces, numbering two thousand men, 
being covered by Rivera, whose army was composed of six thou- 
sand Orientals and two thousand Feraps from Rio Grande. At 
this time, therefore, the Correntine force formed a part of the 
Oriental army, which gave Rivera an aggregate of ten thou- 
sand men, while that of the Buenos Ayreans reached as high 
as fifteen thousand. The two claimants of the Presidency of 
the Banda Oriental, without troubling themselves about an 
armistice, were now resting their men and making prepara- 
tions for a final struggle, and therefore the present was the 
most opportune moment for us to attempt crossing to the Banda 
Oriental. 

It was a hard matter to withstand the importunities of our 

32 



374 WILD OATS SOWINGS* 

amigas, and I cannot say but that some rash act would have 
been the result of the night's proceedings, had we not been 
called away by an order of Garibaldi, who settled the matter 
by ordering us both to get to our saddles and patrol in the vicini- 
ty of our (Perreira's) quarrel, saying he would hold us account- 
able for every man who was absent at the moment of our de- 
parture in the morning. This was only a ruse to secure us 
from being seduced into desertion, and we saw through it in a 
moment. While on duty in pursuance of orders, it was not 
to be supposed we would desert our post, and we saw nothing 
more of our friends during the night. If we could have taken 
them with us, we would have done so willingly ; but the old 
vadre was on the alert, and forbid a soul from leaving the pue- 
bla, declaring that as soon as we were gone he would make the 
women sweep the plaza upon their bare knees. But neither 
Tom or myself really relished the idea of being cooped up in 
the province for life. The thoughts of the ocean, and our 
home and friends beyond it, came into our minds whenever 
the subject of a permanent residence in the country was 
broached, putting the suggestion to flight at once. 

Morning at length relieved us from our weary duty, and by 
the time our men had gone through the usual process of stow- 
ing their rations of beef and calde under their jackets, the 
horses designed for our use were drove into the puebla, and a 
corral having been formed, they were lassoed and delivered to 
the men. They were but a sorry lot of old hacks, and we 
could hardly think of a complaint incident to the animal that 
was not developed in some one subject of the drove, many of 
which would have severely tested the abilities of the most ex- 
perienced veterinarian, in one hour we were mounted and 
began to cross the river, on the bank of which we found as- 
sembled the whole party of our friends, including the choris- 
ter, who was loud in his protestations of sorrow -at our depart- 
ure. Anxious to impress us with the sincerity of his profes- 
sions, he was importunate to know whether we had pawned 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 375 

anything since wc had entered the puebla, offering to redeem 

and restore such articles as far as lay in his power. Happily 
wc did not require his proffered assistance, and parted with 

him, as well as the rest, with unfeigned regret, promising at the 

expiration of the war to revisit the puchla and resume our 
acquaintance with them. The time lor leave-takings was 
short, and it was with a feeling of great relief that we received 
the order to march, when our horses plunged into the stream ; 
and as our friends were forbidden to cross, on our reaching 
the opposite hank of the river we Spurred forward our horses 
and soon lost sight of the kind-hearted pueblano& 

It will not he thought strange that all of the party who hail 
formed any acquaintanceship with the Santa Lucinas were 
somewhat affected. Their emotions were as various as the 
characters of the men. Some laughed and made light of the 
matter ; others sought to drive the idea of parting out of their 
minds by congratulating themselves upon the prospect of once 
more reaching the seacoast ; some were savagely morose; and 
Others again swore like pirates, and vented their findings in 
belaboring unmercifully the poor beasts on which they rode. 
This state of temper continued for the first three days of our 

march, on the first of which we proceeded uo farther than the 
Palmas, in which we encamped for the night. Here all the 
necessary preparations for our expedition were made, and the 
following morning found us mounted at daybreak and rapidly 
pursuing our march towards the Uruguay. In Spite of the 
vigilance of the old padre of Santa Lucia, two of the fair 
scTwritas of the puebla managed to leave during the night and 
join us at the Palma, and expressed their determination to 
accompany the battalion as far as the neighborhood of tin; Cor- 
rcntinc encampment. Garibaldi remonstrated against it, but 
they laughed in his face, and without making any further 
answer, marched, halted, and camped with the party — as merry 
a brace of light-hearted creatures as we could have wished to 
find; and they did much towards keeping OUT men in good 



376 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

temper while we were struggling through the Banyous, which 
we entered upon the morning of the third day of our march. 

We had heard much of the locality, and expected to 
encounter something difficult, but the half had not been told. 
Let the reader imagine a dense swamp of water and mire, into 
which our horses sank above their knees, and often to their 
bellies, obliging us frequently to dismount with almost a like 
result to ourselves, and spend an hour in extricating the jaded 
animals. This was bad enough for a short distance, but when 
it was extended to whole days it was miserable in the extreme. 
Our course, likewise, was as tortuous as it had been on board 
of the vessels upon entering the Parana. Now we w^ere de- 
ceived by apparently firmer ground, which on closer inspec- 
tion proved as treacherous as an ignis fatuus, — now winding 
through or around dense and tangled thickets, struggling, splash- 
ing, floundering on, while the air was filled with the fervent 
execrations of the whole party in some twenty different 
languages at once — all of which created difficulties that at frne 
time appalled the stoutest heart, and the next moment pro- 
duced roars of laughter from their very ludicrousness. A 
heavy fog hung over the swamp almost continually, which 
at times was evaporated by the hot sun, but was sure to de- 
scend in heavy showers during the night. 

Luckily for us, small islands of dry, firm ground were 
scattered at intervals over this interesting region, without 
which the passage would have been impossible. Upon these 
islands we encamped during the nights of our progress. But 
we might as well have kept in motion, as rest was out of the 
question, on account of the drenching showers. The last night 
spent in this delectable swamp was a benefit to the whole party. 
We had encamped upon an island of unusual large dimensions, 
which, unlike the others, was heavily timbered. Wood being 
plentiful, we built large camp-fires, and by nine p. m., for the 
first time during the three days we had spent in floundering 
through this morass, we had dry clothes, from which the mud 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 377 

peeled off in flakes, like clay from the body of a baked fowl 
just taken from a brick-kiln. Nevertheless, our garments were 
dry and comfortable, and, congratulating ourselves upon this 
fact, we disposed ourselves around the camp-fires in the fond 
hope of at length obtaining a night's rest. 

The evening was calm and serene when we laid down, but 
it was not destined to remain so long. We were aroused from 
our slumbers by the cold pattering of our usual attendant 
of late, by which we found ourselves already drenched so 
completely as to obviate the necessity of attempting to seek 
shelter beneath the trees ; and therefore the majority of the 
men merely turned themselves over to present a fresh side to 
the peltings of the storm, evincing their appreciation of the 
comforts of their situation in sundry harsh expressions which 
I will omit, and then closed their eyes, evidently determined to 
make good their threat, to sleep if it should rain devils. Some 
score and a half of the poor fellows betook themselves to the 
surf ounding trees, in expectation of an overflow of the island ; 
while, stretched upon the trunks of two trees, which lay close 
together and served to keep me from the cold ground, I 
managed, by continually shifting and turning myself, to pass the 
night as well as the best of the party. But no sleep came to 
my eyelids ; as well might one look for repose with a hundred 
trip-hammers at work beside him, and each drop of rain seemed 
to contain at least a gill. The first murky rays of light were 
hailed with joy by all who were on the watch for them ; while 
some, who were making good their avowed determination, still 
lay snoring upon the ground, half submerged in mud and 
water ; and casting my eyes up at the trees in the neighbor- 
hood, I noticed a number hanging half doubled up in the 
crotches of the limbs, secured to the same by their long 
red sashes. 

As soon as we could see to pick our way, our trumpets (we 
had discarded our drum and fife) sounded the reveille, and we 
commenced our last day's march for terra firma z as miserable 

32* 



378 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

a set of objects as were ever seen. As if to mock us, the clouds 
rolled avvaj and the sun came out bright and warm ; and the 
last of the provisions we had laid in for the passage of the 
swamp having been eaten, we pushed forward. The marching 
gradually became better until about 2 p. m., when we emerged 
from the detestable place upon the dry, firm prairie, within two 
miles of a large stone-built estancia, toward which we made 
our way as fast as our used-up horses could carry us. 

On arriving, we dismounted and turned loose our animals, 
wishing them a speedy return by a better road ; and finding a 
beautiful clear brook at a short distance, we built fires to assist 
in the drying process, and at length took our leave of the last 
relic of the Banyous. Here was plenty of fine fat cattle, and 
our wearied comrades were soon indulging in the luxuries of 
the assou con quiero, (flakes of beef still adhering to the hide,) 
which were fried by being spread upon the glowing embers 
with the hide to the fire, the meat being cooked by the time 
the former part was burnt through. This dish, althou^l a 
somewhat novel one to our party of foreigners, was pronounced 
excellent, and after having satisfied our hunger, we turned our 
attention to preparing quarters for the night, our late expe- 
rience leading us to look for a repetition of the last night's 
rains. But with the swamps we had got rid of the showers 
likewise, and the morning found us fresh and hearty once more. 

By ten a. m. we were all mounted again, and this time with 
very fair horses, and we bade farewell to the shelter of the 
estancia and set forward. The country was all hill and dale, 
destitute of any vegetation excepting the short grass and an 
occasional line of bushes, marking the course of some little 
brook, meandering its course towards the Uruguay. This day 
for the first time we encountered a number of red deer, but 
they were shy, and our utmost caution did not suffice to enable 
us to come sufficiently near to get a shot at one of them. 
About the middle of the afternoon we passed through the 
puebla of Porongas, situated upon the summit of a high ridge 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 379 

commanding a wide view of the adjacent country. The puebla 
was prettily adorned with groves of orange and lemon-trees, 
and, like the rest, was in the sole possession of the ladies, 
the male part of the inhabitants being with the army. The 
seuoras did not appear to be so 'free in their manners as those 
of the pueblas nearer the Parana, and but very few could be 
seen about the place. I caught sight of a couple peeping round 
the corner of one of the cci3a$, as we were descending the 
eastern slope of the ridge, but that was the extent of their 
sociability. We encamped at night upon the border of a little 
brook of clear water, and having stationed a patrol of gauckos 
to prevent the drove of horses and cattle we had collected 
during the day's march from running off, our camp-fires were 
lighted, the fuel here for the first time being dry manure, which 
was very plentiful in every part of the campo, and made a 
very hot fire. 

The morning brought with it the canieada, at which all 
hands were obliged to assist. The method of killing cattle 
upon the campos is barbarous in the extreme. The animal, after 
being lassoed, is hamstrung ; and being thus disabled from 
escape, he is usually left until a sufficient number of them are 
secured in a like manner. By this means it is common to see 
a large number dragging themselves about upon their haunches, 
uttering the most dismal groans in the intensity of their suffer- 
ings, and sometimes an hour would elapse before the last poor 
creature received the coup de grace. I could hardly conceive 
of anything more cruel and ferocious than the evident delight 
which the gauchos appeared to take in showing their dexterity 
with the knife by half severing a tendon, and thus performing 
the savage business, as it were, piecemeal. To this work they 
are trained from infancy, and in the various pueblas it was 
common to see boys of from eight years of age and upwards, 
with long keen knives, darting around in sport, brandishing the 
dangerous weapons constantly around each others' legs, the 
little rascals adroitly managing to turn the blade so as to strike 



380 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the legs of his opponent with the flat side. If these sports 
stopped here it were well ; but the constant appearance of dogs 
dragging themselves about the pueblas upon their unsightly 
haunches, a complete mass of scars, told a tale of youthful 
training in cruelty that was truly diabolical. In more than 
one instance I witnessed the practice referred to myself. It 
will not be wondered at, therefore, that these people are so 
sanguinary in their warlike operations. 

Towards noon of this day (the 5th of November) we halted 
in sight of the Correntine encampment, while Garibaldi dis- 
patched a messenger to the General in command with the tender 
of our services. An answer was returned speedily declining 
the offer, upon which the battalion again moved forward. 
Nothing of note transpired during the remainder of the day, 
and on the following morning we came in sight of the Uruguay, 
a noble stream of nearly a mile in width. A large flat being 
brought into requisition, we were all transported across in a 
couple of hours, and once more our feet pressed the soil of the 
Banda Oriental, at a distance of near 650 miles from Monte- 
video by the easiest means of transportation, i. e. the river. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

March to Salta Grande — Quinces— Thoughts of home — The puebla 

Balandras— Falls of the Uruguay— The Patrone— Sailing through a 
forest — Arroyo Malo — The squadron of the Uruguay—Retrospect of 
the escape of Don Francisco— A happy meeting— March of the Biscay- 
ans — Bad news — The lime-kilns — Ostrich eggs — The fugitive General, 
and account of the ruin of the army of invasion — Devotion of Rivera's 
negro troops. 

Here we were destined to remain until the means were pro- 
cured for our transportation to the puebla of Salta Grande, the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 381 

most interior town of any note in the Oriental Republic. The 
place of our encampment was but ten miles from the point 
which formed the north-eastern boundary of Uruguay, and the 
south-western (upon the river of the same name) of the Brazil- 
ian empire. A large trade was carried on upon the upper 
waters of this river by a class of Italians, in a kind of clumsy 
river craft called balandras. These were seldom of more than 
fifteen tons' burthen, built to navigate the rather dangerous 
falls of the river between Salta and Paysandieu, which at low 
stages of water required some little skill in navigating. Our 
colonel, having failed, after a halt of three days, in procuring 
the necessary vessels, determined to proceed by land, and once 
more we commenced a march on horseback, our course leading 
through a beautiful country, which, from the proximity of the 
river, wae tolerably well wooded. But I was amazed that so 
fair a portion of the earth should be almost without inhabit- 
ants, for in a distance of at least fifty miles we found but one 
house. 

In the woods on the banks of the streams I discovered the 
quince-tree, which was in full bearing, its fruit of a fair size 
and possessing all the fragrance of those in the New r -Eng- 
land States. The sight of this old acquaintance brought to my 
mind the recollections of my far-off home, and many a tale of 
Yankee-land was told at our camp-fires under the trees, as the 
men plucked and roasted the fruit during the evening. 

Salta Grande we found to be a beautiful village of two 
thousand inhabitants, or more. On account of the great num- 
ber of orangeries in the place, it was difficult to determine the 
number of houses, though everything about it showed that the 
country and people were eminently prosperous. But we were 
not permitted to remain long there, and within one hour of our 
entrance I was embarked on board of a balandra with twenty- 
five others, and soon after we were dashing down toward the 
falls with the speed of an arrow. The little craft being light, 
was very top-heavy with such a heavy load of live stock on 



382 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

deck, and nearly capsized several times. The Italian patrone 
swore at us in his native tongue, Spanish, Portuguese, and 
French alternately, while we laughed and rolled his little rat- 
trap of a vessel until he fairly cried with rage. At length we 
approached the falls, and really supposing there was some 
danger, we gave the poor fellow a little respite, from which he 
inferred that we were frightened, and he took the opportunity 
of roundly abusing some of his passengers. For this there was 
no remedy at the time, as we knew nothing of the river ; other- 
wise some of the boys would have thrown him overboard. 
But peace was at length restored, and the little craft entered 
the boiling rapids, down which she rushed with the speed of a 
locomotive, sheering from side to side at the will of the patrone, 
who stood at the^helm with the dignity of a post-captain. 

The dangerous part of the navigation having been got 
through with, Robinson, as the leader of the malcontents, 
began to plot treason against the patrone, who, imagining his 
unruly charge were now completely subdued, gave the helm 
of the vessel to one, and stationed the others to work the sails 
when necessary. Towards night the wind began to blow very 
fresh in squalls, and the sails of the little vessel having been 
reduced to their smallest dimensions, she drove before it, rolling 
and pitching like an eggshell upon the surface of a boiling 
cauldron. The patrone, meanwhile, stationed at the bow of the 
vessel, was continually screaming his directions to the helms- 
man, who in return was every moment causing the balandra to 
deviate from the right course, under the pretense that he could 
not see the objects pointed out for his guidance. The greater 
part of the men had stretched themselves upon the deck, disre- 
garding the orders of the patrone, directing those who were 
not stationed to go below, and it was evident that all of them 
were ripe for fun. The rudder of the balandra, which resem- 
bled in shape one of those used upon a canal-boat, hung loosely 
on its gudgeons, and as the stern sunk heavily in the trough 
of the sea, it was absolutely necessary for a person to hold it in 



WILD OATS S.OWINGS. 383 

its place by main force. Robinson, having relieved the helm, 
was not long in making the discovery of this defect of the vessel, 
and resolved to turn it into the means of producing a catas- 
trophe. We were driving by a part of the coast on which 
the trees extended far into the shoal water, and the surface 
underneath their shade revealed a vigorous undergrowth. These 
circumstances were not lost upon our steersman, who deter- 
mined that the balandra should take a cruise in the woods. 
To precipitate the affair, the rudder suddenly leaped from 
its gudgeons, in spite of the exertions of the man stationed to 
prevent it, and the bow of the vessel coming up to the wind, it 
dashed into the forest, carrying away both of the slender top- 
masts and crashing the limbs of the trees, which came down in 
showers upon the deck. The poor patrone was in agonies, and 
called upon the Virgin and all the saints in the calendar to 
assist him and save him from destruction ; but in spite of the 
Virgin and the rest of his patrons, the vessel continued her 
mad career until she grounded upon the bank one hundred 
yards from the open river. The first duty of the swearing 
patrone was to fall upon his knees and thank his patron saint 
and the whole host of heaven for our preservation, after which 
he farther eased his mind by cursing the heretic Inglescs 
generally, to whom he attributed the uprise of the tonnenta, 
(storm) in the first instance. This he regretted, ultimately, on 
finding that the heretics were indisposed to assist him in 
extracting the balandra from her awkward position. The 
swell of the river rolled through the forest, forcing her with 
violence against the trees, which, not being of a yielding nature, 
maintained their ground with the promise of ultimately coming 
off conquerors. The patrone finally becoming more humble in 
his demeanor, the heretics were prevailed upon to lend their 
assistance in securing the balandra from farther injury. This 
effected, the utmost persuasions of which he was master failed 
to induce them to succor him any farther : and as it was impos- 
sible for him to get along single-handed, he contented himself 



384 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

with bestowing his maledictions upon the whole party, and 
stumbling over the rascals who purposely encumbered the 
whole of the deck. 

Morning appearing, and no provision having been made 
for our subsistence, the men went to work without any solici- 
tation, and a few moments sufficing to relieve the balandra, we 
recommenced our voyage, and without any farther disturbance 
or accident, at sunset we entered the Aroyo Malo, (bad creek,) 
the rendezvous of the naval forces of the Orientals in the 
Uruguay river, and were at once distributed among the vessels 
composing the fleet. The Oriental squadron at this place 
comprised one brig, two schooners, and two gun-boats, to one of 
the latter of which, named the Villa Blanco, I was appointed. 

The vessels being well provided with stores, we began once 
more to live like white men, many of the party declaring that 
they had fed upon beef so long, that they were ashamed to 
look a cow in the face. The news of the arrival of our party 
at the Aroyo had reached the town of Paysandieu, which was 
in sight six miles below the station, and many of the friends of 
those who had left Montevideo in our former squadron were 
assembled to greet their return, only to be disappointed. In 
some instances the grief of the poor creatures, on hearing the 
fate of their brothers, husbands, etc., was very affecting, and I 
saw many of our reckless and desperate companions strive to 
conceal the tears of sympathy which glistened in their eyes, 
while the most reckless one of the party, the quadroon Eobin- 
son, whom I supposed nothing would move, declared with an 
oath that a man had no right to a wife unless he was secure in 
the peaceable possession of a home, beyond the possibility of 
being dragged away upon such murderous expeditions as we 
had been engaged in, This proved the existence of a heart in 
the man whom I had held in abhorrence since the death of 
Dufrense ; who, by the way, had, after a search, been declared 
a deserter, in spite of the suspicions of Garibaldi that the 
foreigners knew more about the matter than they were willing 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 385 

to acknowledge. The wife of our late commandant Arana, 
who proved to be the sister of Dan Francisco, the perpetrator 
of the sacrilege in Santa Lucia, was there, and received great 
attention from the colonel. 

At the time of our starting from Santa Lucia, Don Fran- 
cisco was still confined in the yard of the quartel Perreira ; and 
the men pitying his sufferings during the day, exposed as he 
was to the heat of the sun, loosened his bonds as soon as night 
prevented detection^ and enabled him to recruit his dimin- 
ished strength by a night's respite ; otherwise he would have 
lost the use of his limbs altogether. Rodriguez once ques- 
tioned Teniente Louis in my hearing, as to whether the men 
did not do something to relieve the poor fellow's sufferings. 
The question was asked in such a tone of pity, that there was 
no doubt he would have been glad to be assured of such being 
the case, although he did not dare to express his feelings. 
Louis answered with a significant look that he had not inquired 
into the matter, which was so strictly true, that none of the 
officers knew but that Francisco had been spirited away to the 
city of Corrientes by the holy fathers of the puebla, after the 
first day of his confinement. The padre every morning be- 
stowed a look of holy horror upon the culprit, with a recom- 
mendation to the guard to look well to the safety of the prisoner, 
and we were at a loss to ascertain what would be the end of 
the matter. Garibaldi, on hearing of the affair, after grum-? 
bling at the idea of losing one of his men, concluded to let the 
padre have his own way with the poor fellow, declaring he 
should suffer no further punishment at his (Garibaldi's hand.) 
Three days he had suffered the confinement, or rather torture, 
of the " spread eagle," although neither of these terms would 
convey an adequate idea of the nature of the torments ; and 
had the consecutive nights been added, there would have been 
but little use in sending him to Corrientes for farther punish- 
ment, as the nature of his confinement was fast reducing him 
to a skeleton. 

33 



386 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

This was the state of affairs on the morning of our de- 
parture, ere we had left the plaza. The most of the battal- 
ion were already mounted, but having a great desire to look at 
the poor fellow once more, I stepped through the quartel to the 
yard, and on reaching him I obeyed the impulse which at the 
moment possessed me, and drawing the knife from my belt, I cut 
the thongs which bound his wrists and ancles, and bidding him 
scale the fence and be off, I turned and encountered the eyes 
of Rodriguez, who, I believe, had dodged through the quartel 
for the same purpose. Seizing me by the shoulder and looking 
sternly in my face, he whispered, " Do you know what you 
have done V There was no use in denying that I was badly 
scared, and I was hardly relieved by his harsh " To horse !" 
which I looked upon as a respite, however, and I mounted 
and was off in an instant. As I left the plaza, the sight of the 
old padre and his subordinates hurrying to the deserted quartel 
caused me to increase my horse's speed to the utmost. Rodri- 
guez was close at my heels, and as I urged on towards the 
river, his loud laugh and muttered " Que demonio Americano!" 
assured me that I had nothing to fear from him. 

The padre, doubtless convinced in his own mind that the 
prisoner had been released by Garibaldi's orders, did not see 
fit to pursue us, and Don Francisco was forgotten, until he re- 
appeared among us at Salta Grande, evidently a reformed 
man, and he was never seen to taste a drop of liquor while we 
were associated together in the battalion. There was yet 
another visitor in quest of friends, and ere we had been an 
hour on board of the Villa Blanco I had received the salute 
of Mi quirida Manuela Ramos, who had been in Paysandieu 
since the first of August. From her I learned that rumors of 
the destruction of Garibaldi and his entire force had been 
received, and were generally credited in the Banda Oriental 
until within the last fortnight, when these rumors gave place 
to the certainty that a remnant of the party still survived and 
were on their return towards Montevideo. Francisco, her 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 387 

brother, had accompanied her to Paysandieu, and now belonged 
to a Biscayan battalion of volunteer artillery, which were acting 
as a garrison in the puebla. These troops were so called, on 
account of the members comprising it being mostly emigrants 
from the Spanish and French Biscayan provinces, and the 
service was to end on the return of the army under Rivera, 
whenever that might happen. The whole country had been 
surprised at our hazardous entrance of the Parana, and the 
annihilation of all composing it had been confidently predicted. 
Admiral Brown had ascended the Uruguay in pursuit of us, 
until the largest of his vessels (the brig Belgrano) had been 
stranded, after which, receiving information of his mistake, he 
proceeded with all his disposable force into the Parana with 
the results already related. The whole country was sanguine 
of the success of Rivera, and advices were daily expected of 
the total rout of the Argentines, and the flight of Rosas from 
Buenos Ay res. 

The vessels of our squadron were much damaged, and the 
naval stores necessary for their repair were not to be procured 
short of Montevideo ; therefore, with the exception of one 
schooner and two gun-boats, they were obliged to remain in 
the Arago. A rumor was in circulation that the decisive 
battle was about to be fought, and the battalion in Paysandieu 
having expressed a desire to participate in the affair, they 
crossed over into the Entre Rios, and I found myself with the 
charge of Manuela upon my hands, which occasioned me some 
anxiety; not that I disliked it, yet from the uncertainty of our 
movements, I was fearful some emergency might again separate 
us before I could confide her to the care of her brother. But 
I had no occasion to trouble myself on her account, as she was 
better qualified to take care of herself in the campo than I was. 
However, another week past without any news of the army, 
when we were suddenly alarmed by the reappearance of the 
Biscayans, who brought fearful news of the total rout and 
massacre of the Oriental army, through the defection or treason 



388 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

of the Correntine contingent. Upon the receipt of this news 
we proceeded, with all of the vessels and boats that could be 
rendered serviceable, to the "lime-kilns" on the coast of Entre 
Rios, some thirty miles above the Aroyo, in the hope of being 
able to succor some part of the scattered troops. But here we 
could neither see nor hear of anything satisfactory, and the 
next day we returned to the station. 

While at the kilns, in rambling about through the campo 
some of the men stumbled on a nest of the South American 
ostrich containing upwards of eighty eggs, some of which were 
quite fresh, and I had the good luck to secure one of the best ; 
but it was strong, and required a less delicate stomach than I 
possessed to make it palatable by any of the ordinary methods 
of cooking; but the Frenchmen of our party, who were less 
fastidious, succeeded, by a liberal use of sugar and spices, in 
making them delicious. 

Four days more passed without bringing us any news. 
The time hung heavily on our hands, through uncertainty and 
idleness, and we began to mistrust the correctness of the news 
we had heard, when we were joined by one of the Generals of 
the late Oriental army named Lunes, or Nunez, who, with 
seven other officers, had made his escape. From him we 
received full confirmation of the disastrous battle. Rivera 
having been joined by the Correntine force, had, at the request 
of their General, assigned them the front line of battle, his own 
force of six thousand Orientals forming the second or main line, 
while the third was formed by the Feraps, who, on learning 
of the treachery of the Correntines, made a hasty retreat, 
leaving the Orientals to their fate. The army was surprised 
"while employed in slaughtering cattle for the subsistence of 
the troops ; but having succeeded in forming their lines of 
battle, they awaited the onset of the Argentines, led by Oribe 
and Ortiz in person. On their approaching near enough to 
support the Correntine line, in case of disaster, the latter, by 
previous arrangement, faced about and opened their fire upon 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 389 

their late allies, the Orientals, who for a few moments were 
thrown into confusion, and gave ground before the superior 
forces of the Argentines and their new allies ; but being rallied 
by Rivera, they made a stand worthy of the days of Marathon 
and Platae, and although deserted by their Brazilian brethren 
from Rio Grande, the six thousand Orientals contended with 
the entire force of the confederates until they were cut to 
pieces. It was said that not fifty out of the six thousand 
escaped the slaughter, after having repeatedly refused to receive 
quarter on condition of laying down their arms. This body 
of troops, under Rivera's own training, were mostly negroes, 
and had been the medium of his former success in his desperate 
encounters with the Argentines. It was the finest and largest 
as well as the best equipped army he had ever raised, and with 
it fell his last hopes of fame and revenge. He himself was 
not brave enough to share the fate of his troops, and deserted 
them in time to secure his own retreat, dressed in the garb 
of a common gaucho — a garb that would better befit the 
majority of the military aspirants of the south at all times, 
than any other. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



Effects of the news — Burning of vessels — Start for Montevideo — Soiiana 
— Mercedes — Junction with the land party — Execution of robbers— Our 
services required to shoot a lady — Garibaldi refuses — Demonstrations 
— The Oriental lancers — March for Montevideo — Santa Lucia— The 
mount in sight— The remnant of the expedition — Enter the city — The 

blockade — Carious measures of the enemy — Materials for an amy 

Wavlike demonstrations — Fortifications — Plan of escape— The ven- 
ture — The Italian boatman — Once more afloat— The Columbia frigate 
— American protection refused — Pursuit. 

The effects of this news were not long in developing them- 
selves, and were further hastened by the information that the 

33* 



390 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Argentines were already in the Banda Oriental. All was bustle 
and confusion. The stores were landed from the larger vessels 
and every man allowed to help himself; the guns were buoyed 
and sunk in a secret nook ; and the holds of the vessels, after 
being filled with brush, were anchored in front of the town of 
Paysandieu and set on fire. The Biscayans had already started 
for Montevideo, taking under their charge the major part of 
the inhabitants, who were forced to leave their pleasant homes 
to the mercy of the enemy. Thi3 was a long and wearisome 
march for the women and children, but there was no other way 
of accomplishing the journey, as the river's mouth was still 
blockaded. 

It was on the 17th of December, when, everything having 
been got in readiness for moving upon Montevideo, we set fire 
to the battery, and the party which were to accompany Gari- 
baldi by land took up their line of march ; and one hour later 
we made sail on board of the Villa Blanco, accompanied by 
the Robla, and pointed our prows to the south-west. Being 
favored with fair winds, we entered the Rio Negro on the third 
day after leaving Paysandieu. The sun was setting as we 
passed the ancient puebla of Soriana, said to have been one 
of the first places settled by the Spaniards, and remarkable to 
us as being the first place where we were received with ex- 
pressions of dislike by the ladies. Whether we were taken for 
Argentines, or whether they were really inimical to the interests 
of Don Fructuoso, we had no time to stop to inquire. Pro- 
bably they had heard of the disaster that had befallen the 
President, and had determined to become firm adherents of 
Rosas and Oribe, in hopes of retaining possession of their pro- 
perty. Certain it is, they called us all manner of hard names, 
which sounded harshly from such a source. 

By eight o'clock we reached the puebla of Mercedes, a 
thriving village on the southern bank of the river, containing 
ordinarily about three thousand inhabitants, as I judged by the 
number of houses, stores, etc., although the place was then 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 391 

almost deserted by its inhabitants. Some twenty sail of mer- 
chant vessels, of a larger class than ordinarily seen in the river 
ports, were moored at the bank in front of the town, where 
they had evidently been stationed for a long time. The village 
was still occupied by a battalion of lancers numbering about 
three hundred men, who confined themselves to the outskirts 
of the puebla, and silence reigned supreme in the streets, which 
were recently teeming with an enterprising population. 

We were not permitted to occupy quarters within the limits 
of the place, and therefore immediately proceeded to a saladiero 
about a mile and a half south, and about equidistant between 
the puebla and the campo santo (burying-ground) belonging to 
it. We were not well pleased with this arrangement, but trust- 
ing that Garibaldi would mend the matter on his arrival, we 
endeavored to make ourselves comfortable. The residue of the 
party reached the puebla during the night, and in the morning 
joined us at the saladiero, and we were glad to learn that we 
were to continue our march the next day. During our present 
halt, the convoy of people, cattle, horses, wagons, etc. which 
had accompanied the land party from Paysandieu pressed on 
in advance, the cavalcade being something more than a mile 
long. 

An incident unusual to our common routine of duty oc- 
curred during the forenoon. This was the execution of two 
robbers lately captured by the police of Mercedes in the act of 
plundering an estancia, after committing unheard of atrocities 
upon the defenseless females residing therein. A requisition 
having been made upon (Garibaldi by the commandant of the 
puebla, a firing-party of eight were detailed for each of the 
criminals, and at eleven a. m. they marched for the place of 
execution south of the campo santo. Men caught in such 
business as these had been engaged in are usually described as 
being of the most villainous appearance, and I had therefore 
made up my mind that the doomed men were anything but 
human in their aspect. But I was much at fault ; for both of 



/ 



392 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

them were not only young but good-looking. Two posts had 
been set in the ground, on the top of which, just high enough 
for the prisoners to be seated, were spiked pieces of plank. On 
these they seated themselves, by command of the officer ap- 
pointed to see the sentence carried out, and the attendant 
priests of the Catholic communion approached and adminis- 
tered whatever of consolation they required, which, by the 
way, was not much. After the priests had retired, the judicial 
officer, accompanied by the commandant of the puebla, who 
had just arrived upon the ground, demanded whether they 
wished for anything further, when one of them coolly requested 
to be furnished with a cigaretto. This was answered by the 
commandant, who produced a bunch of the desired article from 
his pocket, lighted one, and placed it in the mouth of the con- 
demned. A shake of the head sufficed to express that they had 
no further wants, and the officers retired, when the word of 
command was given, and the leveled muskets vomited forth 
their contents, launching the two brothers into eternity. This 
business was a very painful one to us, as those in command of 
the firing-party were required in all cases to advance and dis- 
charge the contents of their muskets at and within a foot of 
the head of the corpse, to prevent resuscitation. 

A still more disagreeable call was made upon our services by 
the commandant, which would have created a mutiny at once, 
if Garibaldi had not utterly refused to allow us to have any 
agency in the matter. The object of this call was the execu- 
tion of a woman. The unfortunate creature, who was young, 
pretty, and wealthy, had been detected in corresponding with 
the Argentines, and there being the most unequivocal evidences 
of her guilt, she had been condemned to be shot. The bare 
mention of our being called upon to act as executioners in this 
affair set the camp in an uproar. Los Ingleses had been looked 
upon as the most efficient instruments in the punishment of 
offenders, since the recommendation of the padre of Santa 
Lucia was given to that effect. The quadroon Robinson swore 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 393 

that if he was detailed, he would send his ball through the 
bloody heart of the commandant, a feat I have no doubt he 
was fully capable of committing ; but he was not called upon 
for any other purpose than to expiate the offense of declaring 
his intention too unguardedly, it having been heard by one of 
the officers who was no friend to our party of foreigners. He 
remained in the "safe-companion" during the remainder of our 
stay (some twenty hours,) and was released with the assurance 
that a repetition of his late offense would cost him his life. 
Garibaldi's answer to the commandant of the place, upon his 
making a requisition for our services in this matter, was noble. 
Drawing his majestic ligure to its full height, he turned away 
in disgust as he replied, "My party will fight men, but they 
shall not shoot women." This being reported in our quarters, 
the next appearance of the chief was greeted with three times 
three by our whole party, which expression of our acknow- 
ledgment of the manly course he had taken seemed to please 
him much, although he tried hard to frown us into silence. 

It was late the next morning ere the trumpets sounded to 
horse, but by ten o'clock we were fairly under way. As we 
marched past the puebla, the utmost stillness was observed, as 
it was about the time appointed for the execution. Suddenly 
the report of the fatal volley rang in our ears. Every one 
held their breath to hear the report of the final musket. It 
came, and a general shout of execration upon the dastard who 
could do such a deed and live, went up from the whole line 
without a word of rebuke from the officers, who were now as 
much excited as the men. Every one was so occupied with 
his own train of thought, that we were not aware of the ap- 
proach of the battalion of lancers, who had evacuated the 
puebla and were within a hundred yards of our line. Their 
course being somewhat different from ours, the column halted 
to allow us to pass by. They were as rascally a looking set 
of beings as I ever set eyes on, an opinion which Garibaldi 
also appeared to entertain, as he ordered the trumpets to t sound 



394 WILD OATS SOWINGS* 

the trot and gallop with only the interval of a few seconds 
between them. 

Our march was uninterrupted, and without any event 
worthy of note occurring, on Christmas eve we entered the 
puebla of Santa Lucia, ten leagues from the capital. This 
puebla was very similar to those I have already described, and 
we were not sorry when the summons to continue our march 
was sounded on the morning of Christmas day. But to our 
chagrin, a few miles from the puebla we again encamped, and 
from this time until the 31st of December our progress was so 
slow that we were two days in sight of the mount before we 
were allowed to finish our march by entering the city. This 
we did on the evening of the latter date, after an absence of 
six months and thirteen days. 

As I have before said, our force on leaving Montevideo 
was four hundred souls, ninety-two of whom were all that re- 
mained. Nothing could exceed the joy of our party when it 
was known we were to enter the city. Marching a couple of 
miles and encamping again, had become so common that we 
began to fear we might be again turned in the opposite 
direction, and marched off to some distant point for a farther 
course of military operations. In view of this emergency, 
Tom and myself had sounded the rest of the foreigners, and 
it was agreed that should any movement of the kind be pro- 
posed, we would at once refuse to proceed. For the purpose 
of carrying out this resolution, we secured all the ammunition 
we could lay hold of, determined, if necessary, to fight for our 
liberty las long as there was a man left. But a little after noon 
of this, the last day of the year, we were conducted to the 
foot of the mount, where, turning loose our horses, we finished 
our march on foot, entering the city and taking up our quar- 
ters in one of the quartels of the late policia, the whole force 
of which had been marched oif to join in the disastrous cam- 
paign of Don Fructuosa Rivera. 

There was one warm-hearted friend to greet me on our 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 395 

arrival. Francisco Ramos and his sister had reached the city 
with the Biscay ans, but that battalion had disbanded itself, 
and its members were scattered beyond the possibility of being 
again united. Consternation prevailed throughout the city. 
The troops of Oribe and Ortiz were already in sight on the 
surrounding hills, and had they chosen, they could have occu- 
pied the place without striking a blow, the ninety men of 
Garibaldi's party being all who were under arms, and the 
inhabitants had not as yet thought of holding the city against 
them. The cause of this curious method of proceeding of the 
Argentine Generals, was to be found in their fear that Rivera, 
who was yet in the camp, would succeed in raising another 
army and again shut him up in the capital, as he had done 
once before. Oribe's troops therefore encamped on the heights 
to the eastward of the city, and commenced the erection of 
batteries. This occupied several days, during which the un- 
fortunate inhabitants were almost paralyzed with terror, mo- 
mentarily expecting an attack. This state of things could not 
long continue, and the idea of detailing sentries from our dimin- 
utive party was a complete burlesque. But it was the nucleus 
around which a valiant host of men were to rally, who for 
more than three years succeeded in setting at defiance the whole 
military force of the confederation of the La Plata single-handed. 
I have before noticed that the majority of the population 
of Montevideo were emigrants from the French Biscayan pro- 
vinces — men who possessed all their national love of glory, and 
only needed to be spurred a little to face any danger. "Who 
the person was that roused the spirit of enthusiasm among them 
I could not ascertain, but the first notice of the new order of 
things was given towards the evening of the fourth day of 
January, when the sound of military bands, accompanied by the 
voices of thousands of the inhabitants chanting the Marsellais, 
was heard upon the Plaza Granda of the city, through the 
avenues leading to which crowds were pressing to join in the 
general demonstration, their voices borne upon the breeze like 



396 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the mingling of many waters, and filling the air with the 
grandest melody that was ever heard in that country. The 
next morning's light dawned upon a breastwork of no ordinary 
dimensions, bristling with cannon, while every man in the 
place was suddenly transformed into a soldier. 

It was time for me to be off. The order was already given 
for our party to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to any 
point of the lines where our services would be most required. 
My comrade, Tom Lewis, was of the same opinion with my- 
self. " If they succeed in getting us into the batteries once, 
there is no farther chance for us," said he. In this view of 
the case, we decided upon losing no time in at least making 
the attempt. The city during the day had been put under 
martial law, death having been declared the penalty for any 
one belonging to the forces who should attempt to leave it. 
The project was hazardous in the extreme, and we were fear- 
ful we should not be able to induce a sufficient number of our 
comrades to back us, to make our success even probable. 
Tom and I were discussing this matter just before daybreak 
on the 5th of January, and having come to a decision, we 
turned out of our bunks, and rousing the quadroon Robin- 
son from his slumbers, we secured his co-operation in a very 
brief space of time. We were equally successful in enlisting 
five others, and it was agreed that we should leave the quartel 
separately as soon after reveille as possible, and make our way 
to the mole. We could not start before the morning roll-call, 
on account of the patrol, who would have been sure to arrest 
us. Having reached the mole, we were to decide on the best 
course to pursue. Francisco Ramos had disappeared, and the 
rumor was that he had escaped to Buenos Ayres. Manuela 
remained near the quartel, and by my suggestion the day before, 
she had changed her abode to near the head of the Bouveries, a 
remnant of the old Spanish wall, which commanded a view both 
of the mole and harbor, and I had promised that if we escaped 
she should not be long behind us. We were now all in readi- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 397 

ness, and anxiously watching the morning light. It was not 
long before the rattling of drums and the deep boom of the 
morning gun ushered in the gray dawn, and ere we broke our 
ranks, after answering to our names, the patrol who had been 
upon duty during the night were seen retiring from their posts 
and hurrying to their homes. As yet no guard had been post- 
ed within the city during the day, which made us sanguine of 
success, and as soon as we were dismissed we gradually slipped 
away, without entering the quartel again, as if for water, 
wood, etc., which we had been accustomed to procure every 
morning. In half an hour we had all reached the mole without 
molestation. Dispatch was the word. Tom and myself took 
the lead to the stairs, calling to the rest in a low voice to come 
on. On reaching the landing we were greeted with the sight 
of an Italian boatman, who was cleansing his boat preparatory 
to commencing his day's work. Apparently surprised at our 
sudden appearance, he suspended his work for a moment to 
look at us. This brief space of time, so precious to us, we im- 
proved by descending the steps, and Robinson, who had not 
forgotten his former feat at this spot, laid hold of the bow of 
the boat, and drawing her to the steps, cried out, " Tumble in, 
boys !" an invitation which needed no repetition, and we ac- 
cepted at once. The Italian now seemed to awake from his 
stupor at our proceedings, and perceiving too late that we were 
all members of el Exeveito National, which had latterly been 
inscribed upon the bands of our caps, implying that we belong- 
ed to the National forces, he assumed the ugly and attempted 
to make a noise, but a blow from the powerful fist of the quad- 
roon sent him backward into the stern of the boat, where, for 
fear of a second dose, he remained quiet, only begging that we 
would spare his life. We assured him he should not be hurt 
provided he remained quiet, but threatened that unless he did 
80 we would drown him. 

While this was transpiring we had shaken out the high-peak- 
ed shoulder-of-mutton sail, and the boat was dashing the water 

34 



898 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

from her prow, and heading for the Columbia frigate, which 
was lying in the outer roads. As our boat disappeared from 
their view among the vessels in the inner harbor, we observed 
a knot of men on the mole watching our motions. It was now 
a race for life or death, and we resolved unanimously to put to 
sea in the frail craft., rather than return to the servitude from 
which we had just escaped. We were fast approaching the 
frigate, already considering ourselves under the protection of 
the stripes and stars, and we quickly decided that the best way 
was to avow openly who we were. The boat glided within 
hail. The sentry at the gangway having motioned with his 
hand that we could not come along side, I hailed the ship, and 
having stated that we were American seamen who were desi- 
rous of entering the service, we received answer that the frigate 
wanted hands, but as the captain was on shore, the officer in 
charge did not feel authorized to enter into any agreement of 
the kind or even permit us to come on board. In answer to 
his advice to return on shore and seek protection of the con- 
sul, we told him that all chance of our reaching the consul was 
by this time at an end, and as our lives were in danger, we de- 
manded the protection of our country's flag. No answer was 
condescended, and there being no time to lose, the boat's bow 
was again turned towards the city. A number of English 
vessels of war (corvettes and brigs) were anchored in the inner 
roadstead, and we resolved to try them ; but on approaching 
near enough to make out what was being transacted upon the 
mole, to our dismay we perceived the port barge already filled 
with armed men preparing to start in pursuit of us. Garibaldi 
was on the mole giving directions to the officers, and there was 
no mistaking that our capture was the order of the day. An- 
other moment and she was shoved off, and the poised oars de- 
scending into the splashing waters, her bow turned towards 
the course we were steering with the intention of cutting us 
off. All hands now proposed putting about and taking the 
open sea ; but to do this without provision or water was mad- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 399 

ness. However, it was folly to approach any nearer to the 
barge, and I threw the boat's head into the wind with the in- 
tention of running off again. 



CHAPTER XL. 



The Brazilian corvette — A last chance — Laconics — Protection secured 
— Commandant Nerys — Garibaldi's envoy — The demand — Difficulty of 
securing the protection of American officials abroad — Consuls — The 
attack upon Montevideo — The Herald — Capt. Burroughs — The Ramos 
family — Release from the Brazilian — Passage to Buenos Ayres — The 
Argentine capital — Reception — Opinion of the captain of the port — 
Don Ramon Ramos— Settled for life — The Baleineiro — The renegade. 

We were close under the stern of a smart-looking corvette 
belonging to the Brazilian navy, upon the poop of which was 
standing an officer, an elderly gentleman, who I supposed was 
the captain. He was evidently watching us with great earn- 
estness, and understood the whole matter, as he told us upon 
endeavoring to explain our situation. As the boat's sail our 
shivered in the wind, I caught his eye, and almost involunta- 
rily demanded, " Do you want any men V 9 " Are you Eng- 
lish ? M he inquired. I replied, " English and Americans." 
" Yes, yes," said he, " come on board, come on board," this 
time speaking tolerably good English. I laid the boat along- 
side under the gangway, where he met us and told us to hurry 
up out of the boat. Wishing to make sure, I attempted to 
commence an explanation, but he stopped me at once. " I un- 
derstand all," said he, lifting the cape of the red-trimmed mili- 
tary poncho which I wore, "Exeveito National — barge coming : 
come along — walk right down," pointing to the companion 
leading to the ward-room. Obeying his rapid string of lacon- 
ics, we descended and found a swarthy-looking lieutenant 



400 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

Seated at a table, upon which stood a bag containing about 
half a peck of silver dollars. A book was open before bin, 

by the side of which was pen and ink. The captain of the 

vessel, speaking through the open skylight above (he table, 
gave directions to the officer to dispense with taking our names 
for the present; upon which he proceeded to count out sixteen 

dollars to each of US, and then remarked thai the balance of (he 
business could be done at leisure. Returning to (he deck, the 
Italian boatman was well rewarded iov (he use of his boat ; and 
having been assured of the protection of the Brazilian Oov- 
ernment, he departed innch bet tea* satisfied than he was at the 
outset of our acquaintance. The poor fellow was personally 
protected, but having a family in the city, he was forced to 
relinquish the Occupation of a, waterman for that of a, soldier. 
Whether he survived the Siege or not, I newer heard. 

It had taken but. a. few moments to transact the affairs 
which had occurred since we boarded the Brazilian, and we 
were now all on deck, anxious to witness the reception of Ga- 
ribaldi's officer by Capt. Felippe Antonio Nervs. Through the 
portholes of the corvette we perceived that. Louis was the envoy. 
Springing on board and advancing towards where the com- 
mander was standing, he pointed to us, and demanded that wo 
should be delivered Up to the Oriental Government as desert- 
ers ; whereupon Capt. Nerys demand of each of ns the plaice 
of our nativity, after which he remarked, " I do not iind 
an Oriental among them — they are all English or Americans: 
I cannot surrender these men to yon : they have all taken 
the bounty as volunteers in the service of his Imperial Majesty 
Don Pedro Segundo (the second.) During this exciting 
conversation the captain had moved towards the gangway, 
and at its close he lifted his cap and politely bowed, when 
Louis took the hint, and entering the barge, returned to the 
shore, not, however, before promising that Garibaldi would 
have us all in his possession yet — a threat which, luckily for ns, 
after-circumstances did not warrant. Considerable negotiation 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 401 

was carried on between our protector and Don Mekhor Pa- 
eheco y Obes, the Oriental Minister of War, for several days; 
but commandant Nerys was firm in his resolution to hold us, 
and the matter dropped. 

The rascally manner in which we had been refused the pro- 
tection of our own flag was only a common instance of the kind 
constantly occurring in some part of the world. Hal we boed 
a party of beggarly foreigners who had never seen the Tailed 
Stales, instead of American citizens, the same man would 

doubtless have opened the frigate's broadside upon the city to 
protect us, and upon bis own responsibility too. The same 

holds good, likewise, in regard to the majority of American 
and English consuls, who will much sooner receive and pro- 
tec! Hie BubjectS or citizens of a foreign power, than those 
whom it is their duty to befriend. I have stood in the office 
of a British consul at the time when seven English Bailors en- 
tered and demanded his protection. His answer was, " Leave 
my office 1" They did not obey at once; so seizing his cane 
and hitting them right and left, he yelled, " (iet out, get out 
of my office, for a set of jackanapes !" The BOme official, an 
hour later, took under his protection a lone;, green Connecticut 
yankee, who had just run away from an American whaler, 
merely upon his word that he was a native of the province of 
New-Brunswick. This is a fair sample of the consuls of both 
Governments in South America, and is the natural conse- 
quence of their being obliged to depend upon their fees for re- 
muneration. It likewise offers facilities to induce them to 
teonspire with those Governments, which are always anxious 

to procure English and American sailors to man their war 

vessels. By withholding the required protection, this is very 
easily done, by the assumption that any person in trouble 

claiming protection is guilty of misdemeanor or crime, with- 
out inquiring into the matter; thereby leaving the victim to 
his fate, and pocketing the proceeds of their iniquitous conniv- 
ance. But these gentry do not always escape scathless. It 

34* 



402 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

was for no strict adherence to his official duty that a late con- 
sul at Buenos Ayres had the consular garb torn off his back 
upon the Aleniada of that city. In regard to the officer of the 
frigate who had treated us with so little consideration, he was 
said to have been severely reprimanded by his commander, 
when the latter learned our application, charging him in fu- 
ture to receive all who claimed protection. 

We were at last safe, and from our secure position we wit- 
nessed the first attack of the Argentines upon the city, which 
was made during the evening ; and as the rattling of musketry 
and the deep boom of artillery was borne upon the breeze to 
our ears, we congratulated ourselves that the business was in 
the hands of those who had more interest in encountering the 
danger than we had. For an hour the city was illuminated by 
the shells and fireballs thrown into it, in the hope of setting it 
on fire ; but by nine p. M. the Argentines, who had attacked the 
lines at several points, drew off their troops, and darkness and 
silence succeeding to the uproar, we sought our repose, having 
been furnished with hammocks by order of the commandant. 

A very short time sufficed to convince me that the Brazil- 
ian service was no place for me. The ship's company were of 
every shade from black to white ; and although they appeared 
cleanly, as far as regarded their clothing, and were moreover 
friendly and accommodating to a fault, yet I witnessed that 
within the first twenty- four hours of my stay on board which 
was enough to call down the vengeance of the Almighty upon 
the vessel and all on board of her, and I was now nearly as 
anxious to escape from the corvette as I had formerly been to 
leave the Orientals. During the second day on board, a boat 
from the United States schooner Enterprize came along side, 
for what purpose we could not learn, and after remaining for 
a few moments she returned to their own vessel. "We had an 
idea, however, that the visit referred to us. The next day was 
the Sabbath, and early in the forenoon we were required, with 
the rest of the ship's company, to attend religious services after 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 403 

the Catholic form. This we did not fail to let them see we 
disliked ; but as the officer of the deck insisted, there was no 
alternative, and we proceeded aft. On the appearance of the 
captain, he approached us, and half-inquiringly remarked, 
tf You are not Irishmen 1" We answered that we were not. 
"Then you have no business here," said he ; " go about your 
own affairs :" a command which we obeyed at once. 

At the distance of one-fourth of a mile from the corvette, 
which, by the way, was called the Uniao, (Union,) lay the old 
ship Herald, which had formerly brought me from Rio de 
Janeiro. On making application to the captain, I received 
permission to go on board of that vessel, and in a few moments 
more I had the pleasure of again shaking hands with Captain 
Burroughs, who was all amazement on hearing of the various 
scenes I had gone through. During my recital of the history 
of these events, the old fellow's astonishment frequently inter- 
rupted me with, u Sho! neow dew tell!" "I want to know!" 
with a strong nasal twang, which, together with his lean ap- 
pearance, would have made a subject worthy of a Hogarth. 
Having got the captain in good humor, I broached the partic- 
ular subject which I had come upon, and succeeded in enlisting 
his sympathies in behalf of my amiga Manuela, and in an hour 
after I had boarded the Herald the boat had returned from the 
Bouveries, bringing in her the last of the Ramos family from 
Montevideo. The mother had followed the two brothers Juan 
and Pablo with the army, and of course nothing could be learnt 
in regard to her fate, which circumstance was severely felt by 
my fair charge. For the present Capt. Burroughs agreed to 
assume the protectorship of Manuela, on receiving a weekly 
sum of money as an equivalent for her board, and further took 
upon himself to bring off the remainder of the effects belonging 
to the family, or assist in the disposal of them. 

This settled, and having given notice where I was located 
for the present, I took leave of them, and the corvette's boat 
Having come for me, I returned to the Union. Here I found 



404 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

that some of the officers had been questioning my comrade Tom 
Lewis, and from him they had learned what I certainly never 
knew before — that I had a family upon my hands. This came 
to the knowledge of Capt. Nerys, who sent for me, and after a 
number of questions in regard to Tom's assertion, he asked me 
whether I had really designed to enter the service, or had only 
sought the protection of the imperial flag. I kept the advan- 
tage I had gained by the story, and assured him that my object 
was certainly nothing more than to secure my liberty. "Have 
the rest of your comrades families 1" he inquired. I answered 
that I believed not. " Well, that's all at present. Send Lewis 
to me." The whole party went through a separate examina- 
tion, after which we were all called in company, and after tell- 
ing us that he had a perfect right to hold every one of us, he 
demanded the money that had been paid to each man ; but none 
could produce the whole sum except myself, and mine was 
taken. Lucky was it for me that I had once more been in 
company with Manuela, or I had fallen short. I offered to 
make up the sum for Tom, but it was not permitted, and the 
next morning I was sent on board of the Herald. Robinson, 
Rushton, and a man by the name of Best, who was a sailmaker 
by trade, signed the ship's books, entering the service for two 
years, while Tom and the other three were detained for the 
present until the captain could decide what course to pursue 
with them. My family was all that brought me out of the 
scrape so easily. Tom and the non-signers were discharged at 
the end of three months, and were more lucky than me in suc- 
ceeding in getting away both from Montevideo and Buenos 
Ayres, while I determined to proceed to the latter place as soon 
as possible. Manuela was in the best of spirits, and we were a 
happy set of mortals on board of the old cockroach box, which 
was the most appropriate name that could be given to the 
Herald. She swarmed with cockroaches, whose rushing about 
during the night resembled the noise produced by the passage 
of one of those immense swarms of pigeons in their semi- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 405 

annual flights over the western regions of the United States. 
These insects were at times very troublesome, as they did not 
hesitate to travel over our faces, asleep or awake, in their 
nightly reunions. 

After waiting a fortnight on board of the Herald, I suc- 
ceeded in securing a passage on board of a Spanish brig, and 
in company with Manuela I bid farewell to Montevideo, as I 
thought, for the last time. The following evening we anchored 
in the inner roadstead of the port of Buenos Ayres. If the 
sight of Montevideo had formerly pleased me, on first behold- 
ing it, the more extensive panorama of the Argentine capital 
filled me with delight. The city is situated on the south side 
of the La Plata about one hundred and eighty miles from its 
mouth, in 34° 35' S latitude, 58° 24' W. longitude, and con- 
tains upwards of one hundred thousand inhabitants. Fronts 
ing on the river for the space of four miles, its stately build- 
ing?, forts, and long rows of well-built houses and stores are 
beautifully relieved and set off by the noble pasoo or ahm-adi^ 
(public promenade) formed by the smooth sandy beach, the 
top of which is ornamented by -a row of evergreen trees. At 
nightfall, after the stillness of the atmosphere has given place 
to the cool breezes of the river, this delightful promenade is 
crowded with the inhabitants seeking pleasure, or a relaxation 
from toil and the dust of the streets. These various features, 
on the one side, and the river before and around us, as smooth 
and as brilliant as burnished silver — the light and graceful lit- 
tle vessels of almost every commercial nation, whose light 
draught of water enabled them to enter the inner roads — • 
while still farther rivcrward, some four or five miles distant, 
a fleet of larger merchant ships served to relieve the monotony 
of the distant horizon— all of these contributed to form points 
of beauty in a picture which at first sight the beholder would 
suppose the eye could never tire with gazing upon. But I 
was afterwards doomed to contemplate all of these beauties 
not merely with indifference, but, in connection with their 



406 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

associations, with feelings amounting to absolute hate. But I 
will not anticipate. 

Early in the morning the port barge came alongside, and 
the two passengers of el Capitan Guiterrez were submitted to a 
rigid scrutiny, Gimanez, the captain of the port, declaring his 
conviction that I was a salvajo, i. e., an Oriental. I had papers 
in my possession furnished by Capt. Burroughs, which set forth 
that I was recently discharged from his service ; but I had 
better have kept them to myself, as that gentleman was not 
favorably known in Buenos Ayres, however popular he might 
have been in Montevideo ; yet as no positive proof could be 
ob tamed for the present, I was permitted to land as un marinero 
Americano, Manuela was also permitted to pass, after a most 
rigid examination, in which she related the manner in which 
her family had become inhabitants of the Banda Oriental, and 
named many relatives at the present time residing in the city 
before us. Her story was satisfactory to the official, who, 
after completing his business and raising the embargo upon the 
vessel, departed to examine the other vessels thai had arrived 
during the night. 

We were not long in preparing for the shore ; and the boat 
being in readiness, we secured our baggage and left the brig, 
and in a few moments were transferred to a cart, which, after 
a drive of some three hundred yards, landed us upon the dry 
beach. The extreme shoalness'of the water in front of the 
city, although an inconvenience is also a protection, for no force 
of any great magnitude can approach sufficiently near to at- 
tack it by water ; while in more peaceable times the imports 
into the city, with the exception of salt, which is usually taken 
into the Salon Reachucio (creek) at the eastern end of the 
city, is obliged to be transported from the lighters to the ware- 
houses in carts drawn by oxen. 

Contrary to our expectations, no difficulty was experienced 
in finding those who were acquainted with the relatives of 
Manuela, and in a short time we were most hospitably received 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 407 

and cared for by an uncle and aunt of hers, who appeared to be 
delighted with her appearance among them once more. She 
had left them when a little child, and now returned a full- 
grown woman. Everything was declared at our disposal, and 
after partaking of some refreshments, an account of our ad- 
ventures wa^ requested. But when their niece began to relate 
the part her brothers had taken in the Oriental service, her 
uncle placed his hand over her mouth, and looking around to 
assure himself that there was no one within hearing, remarked, 
" Walls have ears in Buenos Ayres, since Don Manuel has been 
Governor. You must not tell that, even to me." The history 
of her own family included mine since our acquaintance, and 
the old man listened to the account of my connection with the 
Orientals, in view of my having been an involuntary actor in 
the scenes I have related in this work ; but at the end he ad- 
vised me to keep my own counsel, as nothing would be received 
by the Argentine Government in extenuation of the misfor- 
tune of having been one of Garibaldi's men. I accepted the 
offer he made to procure me a lighter, by which he felt certain 
I should be able to make myself rich in the course of time, as 
business was brisk in commercial affairs ; and he drew such a 
glowing picture of the happiness I would be the means of 
creating in his family, that I agreed to settle down among 
them. 

The old gentleman was wealthy, and promised to take 
charge of my affairs as far as I required assistance ; so having 
nothing farther to do for the next fortnight, the time was oc- 
cupied in a continual series of amusements, which were termi- 
nated by the delivery of the lighter, by means of which I was 
to coin gold for my pockets. The boat was a baleinero of nearly 
three tons' burthen, and entirely new, having just been finished. 
The next day I was to take her to be registered, and for a 
pleasure- trip the whole family were to accompany me. The 
morning found us early on the river, and the excellent points 
of the little craft were shown off and extolled by the builder, 



408 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

who accompanied us ; and at ten in the forenoon we ran in be* 
fore the port-office and were conveyed in carts to the beach, 
where I met with a man whom I recollected having seen on 
board of the Oriental corvette Sarandhi, at the time Garibaldi's 
squadron was being fitted out, in whose service he held the 
post of lieutenant. t 



CHAPTER XLI. 

The accusation and arrest— The retire— The alcalde— Trial— No defense 
admitted — Committed to the retiro — The alternative — Enter the ser- 
vice—The bounty— Argentine currency — The Chacabuca — Miijor Craig 
— Occupations— Conduct of the English and French Admirals— Pro- 
gress of the war— Attack upon el Isla de las Ratas— British interfer- 
ence — Insults — Cruising — Pamperos — Endeavor to procure a discharge 
— Refitting — Apply for a transfer — Promoted — Receive a present — 
Ordered to the San Martin — Admiral Brown— Hypochondria. 

After we had sailed from Montevideo, the remainder of the 
naval force was broken up, and the vessels having been sold, 
the officers were discharged. Among them was this man, 
whom I will call Ward, as that sounded very much like his 
name, which T only heard mentioned once, and then indis- 
tinctly. He held some petty situation in the port-office, and 
appeared to be somewhat of a favorite with the chief of the 
harbor administration, for whom he acted as a sort of spy 
around the boarding-houses whore unemployed seamen usually 
resorted. The idea of trouble flashed across my mind on 
meeting the gaze of the scoundrel, and I returned his civil bow 
in an equally polite manner ; and hoping that a seeming look 
of doubt, which I thought might have reference to my identity, 
would result in my favor, I faced him boldly, while visions of 
stocks, prisons, and the Argentine squadron, were alternating 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 409 

through my brain. Capt. Gimanez recognized me at once as 
the passenger of the Dos Hermanos, and laughingly reiterated 
his suspicion that I was a salvaje, adding that he would presently 
attend to the business on which we came, and the next instant 
he had disappeared through a door leading into an adjoining 
room. My eye anxiously took in the countenances of those 
in the office, and I discovered that the ogre had disappeared 
likewise. 

Flight would have been useless, and I whispered my fears 
to the old gentleman. Before he had time to make any 
reply the captain re-entered, followed by the spy, and coming 
directly up to me, he demanded of the latter, " Do you know 
this man ?" " I have seen him before," replied the renegade. 
" Where have you ever met him ? and what was his occupation 
at the time you met him ?" The answer was brief and perfectly 
comprehensive to all present. With a villainous smile upon 
his face — such as a devil might be supposed to indulge in upon 
receiving permission to torment a lost soul — he answered, " I 
met him on board of one of the vessels composing the Oriental 
squadron, at which time he belonged to the brig Perriera, 
connected with the squadron under Garibaldi." 

This was enough. The baleinero was registered, and the 
party dismissed, minus one, though not before I had received 
the assurance of every assistance from Don Eamon, my new 
patron. This was all he could do ; for anything like an inter- 
ference with whatever measures the Government chose to take 
in regard to their disposition of a salvaje, was equivalent, in the 
eyes of those in power, to declaring themselves sympathizers 
with the Riveristas, the suspicion of which was enough to 
involve any one in irretrievable ruin. Quick work was made 
in settling matters with suspected persons ; and if the walls 
of the retiro could speak, they would make a revelation of 
horrors which might easily vie with those of the far-famed 
French Bastile. The retiro was situated at the upper point 
of the city, and, like the Bastile, was strongly fortified ; and 

35 



410 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

a general opinion seemed to have passed into a proverb, that 
those who were sent to the retiro were destined to a quick 
passage into eternity. My friends still lingered upon the 
Alamada, as I left the port-office escorted by four files of the 
police soldiers, and in an instant after I observed one of the 
party following at a little distance, for whom, recollecting the 
affair which transpired upon my leaving Mercedes, I was filled 
witli apprehensions. 

After marching about half a mile through some of the 
principal streets, my guard halted before the door of a building, 
over the top of which was displayed a broad sign bearing an 
inscription certifying that here was located the office of cl 
Teniente Alcalde de la Primera Instamia, before whom I was 
conducted and arraigned at once. The judge was a good- 
looking old Spaniard, with a benevolent expression of counte- 
nance — the very kind of person most to be dreaded in that 
country, as he can deliver you over to the executioner with the 
same polite bow and smile with which he would greet a friend 
in the ball-room. Casting his eyes over his spectacles, as he 
listened to the charge from the captain of the port, (a worthy 
coadjutor,) and fixing them upon my face, he commenced a 
series of nods, which I understood to mean, Do you hear 
that? while the pens of a dozen clerks, seated- at as many 
different desks, traveling furiously over the surface of the paper 
before them, at times stopped suddenly ; and they regarded the 
salvage with a look of horror which, notwiths anding the pre- 
dicament I wag in, brought a smile to my face in spite of my 
utmost efforts to restrain it. This circumstance was duly no- 
ticed and recorded against me, and at length, having heard the 
renegade to the end, hi,s honor demanded what I had to say for 
myself. In answer, I gave them a brief summary of all w r hich 
had befallen me since I had entered the Rio de la Plata. 

He heard me patiently to the end., and expressed himself 
sorry for me; "But," said he, "how do we know but what 
this is all false? We do not know that it is true. Where is 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 411 

your proofl" It was nearer than I thought. Manuela Ramos 
stepped forward and offered to swear to the truth of what I had 
said. A moment's conversation passed between the judge and 
my accuser, and then it was intimated that her evidence could 
not be received either for or against me. Some documents 
were then made out and delivered to the renegade, who took his 
leave, and immediately after I was re-conducted by the guard 
to the port-office, where my destination was made known to me, 
or rather, I had to make choice of one of two offers. By the 
alcalde I was committed to the retiro; but the captain of the 
port offered to commute the sentence to service of the Confede- 
ration for one year, giving me two hours to decide. In the 
meanwhile my friends, who were all still near at hand, were 
allowed to confer with me, and by their advice I chose the 
service, as Don Ramon assured me I was certain of being 
impressed from the prison, in which case they would hold no 
terms with me ; although by doing so I hazarded tjie possibility 
of being sentenced to be shot, as many had been before for a 
far less offense than I was charged with. 

Entering their service as a volunteer made a vast difference 
in my affairs; for in a few moments after coming to that decision 
I was re-conducted to the alcalde' '«, and the commitment having 
been discharged, the old judge shook me warmly by the hand, 
declaring that my willingness to enter the service under 
Admiral Brown convinced him of the truth of the history I 
had given him, and he expressed his hopes that I should meet 
with speedy promotion. The sudden confidence and good 
wishes of the old rascal were not very agreeable to me, as they 
came rather late to be of much service ; but I succeeded in 
concealing my disgust, and was presently on my way to Fort 
Federation, after discharging my escort at the quartel of the 
port-office; Gimenez (pronounced Himanez) and mi Tio being 
the only guard now considered necessary, as Don Ramon had 
become my bail that no attempt should be made by me to break 
the agreement I was about to confirm. 



412 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

A short walk brought us to the fort, and in twenty minuti 
I had sold myself to the Government for the space of one ye; 
receiving as bounty the sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars 
of the paper currency of the country, which, fluctuating in 
value with the state of commercial affairs and the aspect of the 
war, was now held in the proportion of thirteen paper to one 
silver dollar, being a trifle over fifty-seven dollars in hard 
money. Three days' grace were allowed me to prepare for 
the new service I was about entering, which I spent with my 
friends, and on the appointed day I presented myself at the port- 
office, and during the forenoon was conveyed on board of the 
Chacabuco. This vessel was a schooner carrying topsails fore 
and aft, and armed with six guns, two of which were mounted 
upon pivots. She was commanded by Major Craig, a Scotch- 
man, and an enthusiastic follower of the Argentine Admiral, 
who was himself a native of the " land o'cakes and brither 
Scots," a cleyer, good-natured old gentleman, one who, however 
anxious to keep out of danger, was continually making nar- 
row escapes, until he finally fell into one which cost him his 
head. The ship's crew was composed of renegades from 
every nation in Europe and America, with a large sprinkling 
from various parts of Asia and Africa. Among such a com- 
pany my time could not pass very agreeably, and we led a very 
monotonous life, laying off the mount at the distance of full 
seven miles from the city, from which the booming of can- 
non and the rattling of musketry daily gave notice of the 
mortal strife being carried on between the Montevidean garri- 
son and our (I suppose I must call it so now) army, which 
beleaguered the city. This was not the worst part of the 
business, for we were not even allowed to blockade the port. 
However, that was not to be regretted by any person of hu- 
mane feelings, as the order had been given to capture the city, 
if possible, and put every living soul to the sword who should 
be found in it. 

The forcible prevention by the British and French Admi- 



tes 
ar, 
ars 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 413 

rals of any co-operation with the army on our part, kept our 
Admiral (Brown) in a continual fever of excitement, which 
found vent in keeping us upon the move without any definite 
object in view. The entire Banda Oriental was by this time 
completely overrun by the Argentines, and every fortified place 
was occupied by our garrisons. Eivera had not made his ap- 
pearance, and the fond hope entertained by the Montevideans 
that their President was advancing to rescue his capital, had 
given place to a dogged resolution to defend the place to the 
last extremity. It was in the power of the English and French 
Governments, who afterwards made such a great parade with 
their forcible measures of pacification, to have secured favor- 
able terms of capitulation to the garrison and inhabitants, and 
the war would have been at an end ; but that did not appear 
to be their policy while anything was to be made out of the 
beleaguered city. It is only to be wondered at that they did 
not leave them to their fate, after having stripped them ; but 
this they considered, for a marvel, as rather too mean, and de- 
termined to get out of the scrape with as much credit as pos- 
sible. They essayed to try their skill upon the Argentines, 
but the expenditures resulting from the project so far exceeded 
the plunder acquired in their predatory excursions, that the 
English sneaked out of the business, leaving their faithful 
allies, the French, to finish what they had begun as best suited 
themselves. Had the Argentine fleet been allowed to run in, 
the city must have surrendered at once or been razed to the 
ground, as every building was commanded from the harbor. 
Besides the city, the Montevideans had garrisons in the fortress 
which crowned the summit of the mount, and had also recently 
erected a fort upon a small low islet midway of the city and 
the former place. 

As if in ridicule of our efforts to assist in subduing the 
city, the two Admirals granted us the privilege of entering the 
harbor and attacking the latter post, after they had become 
well aware that it had been strongly fortified ; and ever ready 

35* 



414 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

to accept any assistance towards closing the war, Admiral 
Brown ordered all the light vessels to prepare for the attack, 
and the next morning (Sunday) found us, to the number of 
seven sail, under way and standing for the harbor. No attempt 
had been made to remove the merchant vessels out of the 
reach of the shot from the island ; these being left, doubtless, 
to afford them an excuse for ordering us off, in case our fire 
had been too warm for the Biveristas. 

At eight a. m. we dropped our anchors in Tine of battle 
before the fort and opened our broadsides. They were not 
long in returning our compliments, and for about an hour and 
a half the cannonade was warm and effective upon their part, 
as they managed to hull us at every discharge. There was 
but little doubt that English gunners had a hand in scaling the 
cannon upon the islet. Besides the firing from the fort, we 
were annoyed by Garibaldi, who with three small gun -boats 
took up a position between our line and the fleet of merchant- 
men, and opened his fire upon us with perfect impunity. Mean- 
while the garrison of Fort San Jose, upon the south-eastern 
point of the city, commenced trying the range of their guns 
upon us, but finding the distance was too great, they desisted. 

Although we had been but a short time engaged, we were 
all perfectly willing to give it up for a bad job, and acknow- 
ledge that we were but second best. The vessels were much 
cut up, three already having their pumps at work, and the 
squadron could easily muster a list of some thirty killed and 
wounded. In this dilemma the appearance of an English 
barge, from the bow of which waved a white flag, was beheld 
with secret satisfaction by all hands. The firing ceased, and 
the Englishman giving the proximity of the merchantmen as 
a reason for discontinuing our attack, signified that it was the 
pleasure of Her Majesty's commander-in-chief that we should 
cease firing and leave the harbor. It would hardly be possi- 
ble to imagine a more mean way of insulting the representative 
of the Confederation, in what was undeniably one of the ports 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 415 

of that Government by virtue of the federal compact, and 
Admiral Brown felt the weight of it, as he frequently expressed 
the wish that he had a sufficient force under his command, 
declaring that he would in such case drive them all out of the 
river. However, in the present instance we were glad to 
escape as soon as possible, and were soon beyond the bound- 
aries of the harbor. 

I had watched narrowly during the cannonade to ascertain 
what effect our fire might have upon the fortress ; but in spite 
of all my scrutiny, the place presented the same unbroken 
front it did at the moment when we let go our anchors. 
Whether we really did any damage I never ascertained, but 
the probability is that we did not. The vessels which had 
sustained the most injury were sent to Buenos Ayres, and we 
returned to the same monotonous course of life we had for- 
merly led. Our cruising ground, when we did cruise, was 
from the mount to Maldonado and back. At times we ascend- 
ed the river, and after sighting la Colonia and Martin Garcia, 
returned and resumed our old anchorage. 

Spring, summer, autumn, passed, and the winter set in, the 
season of pamperos. Whoevever has rode out a pampero off 
the mount would be little'likely to forget it ; but to brave a 
winter of them is another thing. To be continually at work 
sending down masts and yards, letting go and weighing extra 
anchors, and passing the night, wet, cold, and cheerless, during 
the continuance of the gales upon the deck of a vessel which 
is pitching bows under, was enough to weary out a giant. 

But we waded through it, and with the spring came the sig- 
nal to weigh anchor for home. The very idea put new life and 
spirits into us I had received, by every opportunity that offered, 
kind remembrances from my friends in Buenos Ayres, with full 
accounts of the transactions of Don Eamon, but the last intel- 
ligence from the old gentleman was very disheartening. My 
time having just expired^ he demanded my discharge. At first 
no notice was taken of his efforts in my favor ; but continuing 



416 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

to press the subject, lie was at length told that on account of 
the scarcity of men, they felt obliged to refuse to discharge 
any person from the naval service until a sufficient number 
were procured to make up a full complement for the different 
vessels composing the squadron. They acknowledged that 
having served faithfully, I was fully entitled to my liberty, 
and promised to grant me the first discharge that was made out 
to any one in the squadron. In view of these circumstan- 
ces, I did not consider it improbable that my acquaintance 
with the mount would embrace another year, at the least; 
but the idea of seeing my friends again was the all-absorb- 
ing subject for the present, and the anchor once more on the 
bow, we turned our prow westward with hearts free from 
care, and being favored with a spanking breeze, our vessel buf- 
feted the muddy waves of the la Plata, and in a short time 
the mount sank in the horizon, and its recollections were lost 
in the more pleasing anticipations of the future. 

The next morning our eyes were again greeted with a view 
of the stately city, from which we had been absent over a year. 
By nine in the morning our vessel was crowded with the 
friends of the various members of the ship's company, among 
whom I had my full quota. Application had been made to 
release me from duty during the stay of the vessel in port. I 
say to release me from duty, but on board of the Chacabuca I 
had, properly speaking, no duty to perform : occupying the post 
of alfarez (in English, cadet,) I had been a complete ship's cou- 
sin. There was no boat duty, and my daily routine was sim- 
ply to eat my meals and amuse myself in the best way I could. 
At Maldonado I obtained a little relaxation in hunting and 
fishing on the island, though the former afforded only a few 
water-fowl ; but the fishing was grand ; mullet of a larger size 
than I had ever before seen were in abundance, and an excel- 
lent lish called jnscadinia (the common cat-fish) were very 
plentiful. The tigre, a small species of shark, with most for- 
midable teeth, and spotted like a leopard, was quite common 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 417 

and their appearance usually put an end to our sport. The 
books on board I had read again and again, as well as all I 
could borrow from the other vessels of the squadron. But 
these resources were exhausted, and I had surrendered to the 
gloomy and morose feeling called blue devils, when we were 
relieved by the order to make sail for home. We had been 
four months and a half without starting our anchors, previous 
to sailing for Buenos Ayres. 

The request of Don Ramon was complied with, and Major 
Craig having countersigned the order, I once more left the ves- 
sel and mingled in the gay scenes of the city. With the as- 
sistance of mi Tio I obtained an interview with the Minister 
of Marine, and preferred my request to be allowed to serve on 
board of some other vessel. A few days after, Capt. G-imenez 
informed me that my request had been submitted to the 
Admiral, from whom I must expect my answer ; and on the 
evening of the same day a large package was brought to the 
residence of Don Eamon, which, upon opening, we found to 
contain a fine blue broadcloth coat, garnished with the Argen- 
tine buttons, and farther ornamented by a small wreath of 
golden oak-leaves and acorns, in the centre of which was the 
inscription A su lealtad worked in gold braid. A smaller 
package enclosed within the other contained a commission as 
lieutenant, dated 26th of February, 1844, and an order to re- 
port for service on board of the new brig San Martin, to which 
vessel the flag of Admiral Brown was to be transferred. I did 
not anticipate much enjoyment under the command of such a 
hypochondriacal person as the Admiral was known to be ; but 
as he was said to become tired with his subordinates before 
the first three months were past, I was in hopes I might 
finally be sent on board of one of the gunboats or lighter crafts 
employed as guarda costas. 

I experienced more pain from parting from friends and 
home this time than ever before. Exactly four weeks from 
the time we left the mount we resumed our anchorage in 



418 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



nearly the same spot. The English and French Admirals 
(though the English commander-in-chief, Purvis, ranked only 
af a Commodore in the British navy) liad not relinquished their 
old system of annoyance, and every slight movement on the 

part of our squadron, to prevent vessels conveying articles 

contraband of war from entering the port, was followed by 

an order from one or the other of those sea magnates for our 
vessels to strike their Bags, at the peril of having them blown 
ii}). TUese humiliations kept old Brown more than half crazy 
the most of the time, and the consequences were severely 
felt by the officers of our vessel, who were not treated with 
half tho consideration that the men composing the ship's com- 
pany were. He had imbibed the notion that some particular 
ones of our number were constantly conspiring to poison 
him or do him some mortal injury. To guard against the 
former, the queer old chap's cabin was furnished with bra- 
ziers, chafing-dishes, and all the appurtenances of a bachelor's 
residence, and with his own hands ho prepared the food upon 
which he subsisted. It was not uncommon for him to come 
upon deck, and after hobbling fore and aft on the quarter-dec! 
at a rapid rate for the space of half an hour, muttering 
to himself with great energy and earnest ness, suddenly or- 
der a boat to be brought under the gangway, and calling 
some one of our number, command him to get his traps to- 
gether and pack himself off on board of another one of the 

vessels of the squadron, which he usually designated after 

the boat had pushed off. There was neither politeness or 
leave-taking about these sudden movements: on the con- 
trary, old Brown frequently parted with his most meritorious 
officers in a complete rage, into which he had worked him- 
self without any extraneous cause or assistance, during which 
lie was sure to load the unoffending person with abusive epi- 
thets and reproaches totally out of keeping with the dignity of 
his position. After one of these freaks he would rest for a 
little while, until the next cause of excitement again saddled 






WILD OATS SOWINGS. 419 

the nightmare for his benefit. This course of conduct had the 
effect of creating a great barrier between the Admiral and his 
officers, insomuch that no farther communication was held be- 
tween the two parties than what related to the most necessary 
duties of the vessel. This course of proceeding drove them 
off so fast that our number in the first three months had grown 
beautifully less, having been reduced from twelve to four. 



CHAPTER XLII. 



Boat-service — Capt. Voorhees — His powers of imitation — His reward — 
The Sardinians— Result of their interference — Expect a brush — The 
Buceo — The camp of the besiegers — Military punishment — A spectacle 
— Cockney Sam — Death-and-glory boys — Stranding of the Gorgon — 
My turn to leave — Ordered to the Federal — New line of service— La 
Colouia — Treason — The massacre — The blockade of La, Colonia — The 
assault and capture of the place — Retribution — An awful scene— The 
unquenched spirit — Reflections. 

I had secured the charge of the boat-service, and managed 
to keep away from the vessel as much as possible, being for the 
greater part of the time in waiting at the Buceo, (a temporary 
port held by the Argentines about eight miles below Monte- 
video,) for tho*purpose of conveying dispatches from Oribe's 
head-quarters to the Admiral. The three officers remaining on 
board were doomed to see old Brown's coxswain to all intents 
and purposes elevated above and exercising all the authority 
which belonged to. themselves. This coxswain, through the 
influence of the Admiral, was shortly afterwards made a lieu- 
tenant, in which capacity he proved as little capable of retain- 
ing the favor of his patron as the rest of the officers, for he was 
the first of the four remaining on board of the San Martin who 
was driven away by our funny old Admiral. 



420 WILD OATS SOWINGS, 

During this summer, the American captain in command of 
the United States naval forces upon the station, whose name 
was Voorhees, following the example of the English and 
French Admirals, saw fit to take umbrage at the stopping of 
an American vessel which was conveying aid and comfort to 
the enemy, and signalized his official career by seizing a little 
gunboat belonging to Oribe and compelling our vessels to strike 
their flags, which were forbidden to be hoisted again until 
Capt. Voorhees' wrath should be appeased. The vessels re- 
mained three days in this species of limbo, and old Brown 
gave notice that he considered his squadron as forcibly taken 
by the United States forces, and refused to re-hoist his flag 
until he was compelled by the threat of Voorhees to blow the 
vessels out of the water, when he submitted. Capt. Voorhees, 
we were happy to find, was not upheld in this exploit by the 
Government he represented, and expiated this specimen of 
his powers of imitation by being suspended from command in 
the navy for a term of years. 

A short time after, the process of bamboozling the Buenos 
Ayrean Admiral having continued to become more and more 
fashionable, we were visited by the Sardinians, who had two 
heavy corvettes and a large brig in the harbor. A fishing- 
boat belonging to an Italian had been caught outside of the 
port, and as the occupant appeared to court an acquaintance 
with our vessels, he was taken on board and detained. By 
some means the news was conveyed to the senior captain of 
the Sardinian squadron, who, in imitation of his illustrious- 
examples, sent the before-mentioned brig of war to demand the 
release of the prisoner and the restitution of the boat. The 
vessel, fully prepared for action, came to across the stern of the 
San Martin, on board of which, in anticipation of such an event, 
springs had been placed upon the cables and every preparation 
made to give them a suitable reception, although no evidence 
of the intention was apparent to a casual observer. Having 
gained the best position for raking our decks, a boat was low- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 421 

ered and manned, and presently a little weasen^visaged Italian, 
with a veiy hairy face, and wearing the uniform of a lieutenant, 
mounted the gangway and demanded where the Admiral of 
the Argentine squadron was, evidently expecting to find old 
Brown waiting to receive him. I directed the envoye to the 
quarter-deck, and turning around, walked forward to see that 
the springs were all ready to be cut adrift. For an instant 
his Sardinian Majesty's officer hesitated upon the ladder, but 
finally ventured to descend and approach old Brown, who 
advanced a few steps to meet his visitor* When within a few 
pace§ he let fly a volley of Italian, accompanied with the most 
violent gesticulations ; but after an instant's pause, perceiving 
from the puzzled expression of the Admiral's countenance that 
his talk was all Chinese to his listener, he stopped short, and 
after waiting to see whether he was to get any answer, he com- 
menced anew, this time using the Spanish language. The gist 
of his business was, that he was to intimate to the Argentine 
chief that if the aforementioned fisherman was not released at 
once, forcible measures would be used to compel his surrender. 
The language was couched in the most arrogant terms, and the 
manners of the envoy were insulting. The Admiral's answer 
was briefly given : " Return on board of your vessel, and tell 
your commander that if he has any communications to make 
to me, I shall be happy to receive an officer who knows 
how to respect himself and the flag under which I have the 
honor of commanding. You will likewise assure him, from 
Admiral Brown, that if a shot is fired from his vessel at me, I 
will sink every vessel that bears his flag in these waters. You 
can go, sir." The Sardinian was dumbfounded and attempted 
an apology, but old Brown waved him off and he slowly de- 
parted over the gangway. As his boat pushed off, our drum 
beat to quarters, the range of cable upon deck was allowed to 
run out, and the vessel, veering to her springs, presented her 
broadside to the astonished Sardinians, who at last found they 
had caught a Tartar. 

36 



422 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The brig immediately re-entered the port, and in an hour 
more she returned, accompanied by the corvettes. The ship 
Veinte-y-Cinco de Mayo, '(Twenty-Fifth of May,) which carried 
twenty-eight guns upon two decks ; the brig Gen. Echagua, 
mounting sixteen ; and our brig the San Martin, eighteen guns, 
were immediately got under way and stood off to gain a berth 
for a fair fight ; which having done, we hove to and awaited 
the approach of the supposed hostile squadron. But we had 
mistaken their character : they had no intention of fighting, 
and we returned to our anchorage. An apology was tendered 
and accepted ; the fisherman, the cause of all of the trouble, 
was set at liberty, and no farther annoyance from this quarter 
was experienced. The Brazilians, however, troubled us some- 
what, and as they always had a powerful squadron of well- 
appointed war vessels on the station, we were obliged to 
succumb. 

This was the *usual course of affairs on board, and I was 
glad to escape as much of it as possible. At the Buceo I had 
a most unlimited range. The whole campo was open to me, 
and when making any stay over night, I occupied the same 
room in the same house in which I had formerly resided with 
Manuela and her family. I embraced every opportunity that 
offered to visit the camp of Oribe at the cerito (hill) east of 
the city. At this time (July, 1844,) there were about thirteen 
thousand men within the lines of the besiegers, some of whom 
made a very creditable appearance ; but by far the larger 
proportion were a rascally-looking set, and capable of doing 
any kind of dirty work. 

I was allowed to Tange at will through the campomento, as 
it was termed, and in one of these excursions I chanced to 
encounter an object so revolting to humanity as to thrill me 
with horror, and cause me to be so imprudent as to utter 
an expression of pity for the poor wretch who was doomed to 
such a dreadful passage to the eternal world, when I was 
warned at the instant by the rough voice of an officer on horse- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS, 423 

back to have a care, which sufficed to bring me to my senses and 
cause rae to hurry away from the neighborhood. The object 
of which I write was the body of a man who was suffering 
the punishment of death by the hide. The modus operandi 
of which is this: the skin is taken from a horse killed for 
the purpose, and while yet warm, the doomed man is stripped 
and firmly sewed in it with thongs of the same material : a cap 
covers the head and neck, firmly fastened to the hide where 
it covers the shoulders, and the whole is suspended by a strap 
to the limb of a tree. The victim is thus completely enshrouded, 
with the exception of his face, which with tantalizing cruelty 
is left uncovered, that he may gaze upon the beautiful face 
of nature, until his sufferings, occasioned by the contraction of 
the green hide as it dried in the hot sun, and the pangs of hun- 
ger, should destroy his sense of vision. The subject now suf- 
fering this living death was an officer belonging to the Monte- 
videan garrison, who had been captured in an unsuccessful 
sortie they had ma^ eight days previous. The only sign the 
unfortunate being gave of life, was a slow but continual 
protruding of the tongue from the fleshless lips, shriveled 
tightly upon the teeth, followed by a sudden spasmodic reaction. 
I found it was dangerous to stop and bestow a*hy particular 
notice upon objects of this kind, and especially so, if any 
expression of sympathy was allowed to escape the beholder ; 
and I have no doubt I should have been immediately arrested 
for the involuntary emotion I exhibited, had I belonged to the 
land forces. 

The English convict, whom I have formerly mentioned as 
cockney Sam, (I believe his name was Blaisdell,) was at this 
time giving much trouble to the besiegers in a series of despe- 
rate sorties. Having gathered a small band of characters as 
reckless as himself, mostly seamen of every nation under the 
sun, he took the responsibility of patroling in front of the lines, 
and frequently dashed at small parties of the Argentines who 
ventured to approach within his reach. His men were distin- 



424 wild oats sowings* 

guished by a high-topped cap, bearing the skull and cross bones 
in front, with the device or motto, " Death or glory," in large 
letters. These characters were designated demonios by the 
troops of Oribe, and served to keep his lines upon the alert. 

The winter was less tedious than the preceding one, and 
slipped away almost without my perceiving it, although we 
were favored with the usual number of pamperos, in one 
of which some six or eight vessels, including her Bri tannic 
Majesty's steam frigate Gorgon, were driven on shore near the 
former saladiero of the Munoz family. This latter vessel, 
contrary to all our expectations and wishes, was again got 
afloat, through the indefatigable perseverance of her com- 
mander, ^Hotham,) with whom I was eventually brought into 
disagreeable contact. 

The time was now fast approaching in which I was to take 
my turn among the discarded favorites of the old gentleman who 
regulated the affairs of the marine service. By being out of his 
sight the most of the time, I had escaped becoming the object of 
his hallucinations ; but I at length perceived that the old fellow 
began to wax fidgetty, and his communications were delivered 
in a rather more laconic manner than usual. These indicated 
a speedy change, and I was not surprised when a new favorite 
was selected and sent upon my usual service, and two days 
after I received the order to be off on board of the Aquirre. 
This was a small hermaphrodite brig belonging to the navy, 
which had been ordered to Buenos Ayres to refit. I was to 
be a passenger only, having been ordered to report myself 
immediately to Capt. Gimenez for service. Once more, and 
very unexpectedly, I found myself on the way to the Argentine 
capital, with the idea that I was about to take the Ramos 
family by surprise; but their instant appearance, upon our 
dropping anchor, proved they knew more of the matter than I 
did. The Government had resolved to fit out an armed packet 
or dispatch vessel, for the purpose of establishing a regular 
communication between the army and Buenos Ayres, and for 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 425 

supplying the different posts in the Bancla Oriental with 
ammunition, as well as to be in readiness for any service 
requiring a light craft. For this purpose an American-built 
pilot-boat called the Estrella del Sud, (Star of the South) was 
selected, and having been re-christened the Federal, was now 
fitting out under the charge of Capt. Charles Roberts, one of 
the river pilots. To this beautiful little craft I was immedi- 
ately attached. It was now January, 1845, within one month 
of the expiration of my second year in the service, and once 
more I essayed to gain my liberty, but in vain. However I 
received a written warrant for my discharge at the expiration 
of the present year, and anxious to secure a peaceful residence 
in Buenos Ayres, I yielded the point and joined the little vessel, 
on board of which I anticipated a pleasant year of service, as 
we were to be independent of the orders of the Admiral, and, 
while not upon dispatch business, enjoyed a sort of roving 
commission, which enabled us to cruise upon our own hook. 

Everything being in readiness, we sailed from Buenos Ayres 
upon our first trip on the 2d of February. The Federal was 
a fore-and-aft schooner of about s^xty tons' burthen, though 
from her appearance as she rested on the water, one would 
hardly suppose her more than thirty : but an experienced eye 
would detect in the long, heavy, tapering spars, a scale which 
would better enable it to determine her measurement. Her 
armament was one medium 12-pounder upon a pivot, with a 
complement of fifty men, well provided with small arms ; and 
from the fact of a large proportion of the men being Europeans 
and Americans, the Federal was better calculated to render 
efficient service than many of the larger vessels in the fleet. 
While with Capt. Roberts, I soon learned the difficult parts of 
the navigation of the La Plata, and gained a more intimate 
acquaintance with the minor ports on the Oriental coast. 

In March we visited La Colonia, opposite Buenos Ayres. 
This place being of great importance to the Riveristas, they had 
made the most strenuous efforts to hold it, as well as the port 

36* 



426 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

and puebla of Maldonado, below the capital. But it had sur- 
rendered to a close investment established by the Argentines, 
and the former garrison having expressed their willingness to 
serve under Oribe's government, a small party of Argentines 
was added to the late Oriental or Riveras force, and the place 
was left by the main body of troops which had besieged it, in 
the full confidence of its security. But it proved to be no 
part of the Riveristas policy to remain longer under the Argen- 
tine sway than sufficed to rid them of their enemy's presence ; 
and therefore as soon as they were relieved from the fear of 
the superior force that held them in check, they rose upon and 
massacred the Argentines who remained with them, and again 
hoisted the flag of Rivera. Both of the contending claimants 
for the presidency of the Uruguayan republic made use of the 
same flag, both claimed to be the legally constituted chief 
magistrate, and each denounced the other as a usurper ; hence, 
in using the term Oriental, it will be necessary to confine it 
in future to the party of Oribe, and let the name of his 
opponent serve to designate the opposite interests. 

The treason of the garrison of La Colonia marked them as 
objects of speedy vengeance, and with the reception of the 
news a large force was detached from the main army to reduce 
the place, and punish the barbarous actors in the brutal tragedy. 
A close blockade of the works was followed after the lapse of 
a month, during which the besieged were greatly straitened for 
want of provisions, by an assault in which the lines of defense 
were assailed at every point which offered a chance of suc- 
cess ; and although the garrison acquitted themselves as be- 
came men contending for life or death, it was carried after 
nearly all of them had been put to the sword. Only twenty- 
two prisoners were taken, and these were speedily condemned 
to suffer death. The execution was to take place upon the 
morning after our arrival ; and as I was to be on shore early in 
the morning, I felt a desire to witness the manner of dispatch- 
ing prisoners taken in battle. At the time appointed, the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 427 

troops forming the new garrison were drawn up on the plaza, 
around a small bench raised about two feet from the ground, 
the corners of which were furnished with eyebolts. Across 
one end of the bench a block of about six inches in thick- 
ness was placed, upon which the forehead of the condemned 
rested, and a little below the block an opening in the bench 
appeared eight inches in width. The whole apparatus was 
about seven feet by two, with the head placed towards the 
west, elevated some three inches above the foot, the surface 
forming a slightly inclined plane. The bench was constructed 
in two parts, opening in the middle by means of hinges in the 
centre posts at the two ends, which supported the whole. 
Under this machine a long narrow trench was dug, capable 
of admitting the body of a man. One end of this trench 
ascended by a slope to the surface of the ground, under and 
beyond the foot of the bench. The garrison, to the number 
of three hundred men, were drawn up in a square around the 
fatal spot, leaving openings at the corners by which any person 
who wished to gratify their curiosity, could gain access to the 
awful scene. 

At ten p. M. the condemned, twenty-two in number, were 
brought into the square, and arranged eleven upon either side 
of the fatal bench. In all my endeavors to detect anything 
like fear, I failed completely. They entered the place with as 
firm a step as if marching on parade. The two ranks were 
then ordered to face inwards, and an officer advanced and read 
the warrant for their execution, after which a few minutes 
were occupied in administering the last rites of the church to 
the doomed men. The priests slowly retired, and a moment 
of the most profound stillness followed, in which I could hear 
my heart beat. 

This silence was broken by a single tap on a drum. The 
first man in the rank upon the left of the machine stepped 
forward to its centre, where two gigantic negroes in masks 
attempted to seize him; but although apparently a man of 



428 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

no great physical force, he thrust them both from him with 
seeming ease, and springing upon the bench^ he shouted at the 
top of his voice, " Viva el excellentissima senor Don Fructuosa 
Rivera ! Mueran el degolador Rosas ! Mueran todos los esclavos 
de Rosas /" (Long live the most excellent Sir Don Fructuosa 
Rivera! Death to the cut-throat Rosas! Death to all the 
slaves of Rosas !) 

All the efforts put forth by the united strength of six 
powerful blacks could not avail to silence the brave fellow 
until he had finished his speech, when he was pulled down, and 
his wrists and ancles were confined to the eyebolts by a turn 
of a stout thong of raw hide, the end at each corner being 
held by one of the blacks. A horrid-looking monster in human 
shape, armed with a long heavy knife, similar to those used 
in the southern States for the purpose of cutting corn, now 
stepped to the upper end of the bench on the right of the 
victim's head, and seizing him by the hair simultaneously with 
the roll of the drum, the head of the unfortunate man was 
lifted up and backwards, and the long glittering blade was 
drawn from heel to point across his throat, nearly severing the 
head from the body. A slight shuddering tremor which 
agitated the body, was the only evidence of suffering I could 
perceive. The limbs were cast loose, the two parts of the 
machine separated, and the corpse of what was but one moment 
before a living man, full of youth, health, and vigor, fell 
heavily into the trench below, amid cries of " Viva la Con- 
federation Argentina J" etc., while a lasso was fastened to the 
ancles and the body was dragged from the trench. 

By the time this was effected, another of the victims had 
been bound upon the fatal bench, and in a moment his lifeless 
corpse followed in the same track with the preceding one. It 
would be unreasonable to suppose that the same degree of in- 
difference would be exhibited by the survivors, as their com- 
rades successively passed the ordeal. The feeling of excite- 
ment in some was most terrible, and I was obliged to turn 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 429 

away, sick of the horrid exhibition. As the fatal couch was 
emptied, each was anxious to relieve himself of the dreadful 
state of intense agony to which his mind was wrought up, by 
becoming the next victim. I would gladly have left the spot 
long before, but the means of egress were now closed, and it 
would not have been safe to express such a wish or to evince 
anything like sympathy for the condemned. 

That the sentence was just, no one for a moment doubted : 
they were guilty of treason and murder of the blackest kind ; 
but some other and less revolting method should have been 
adopted to satisfj\the demands of justice, and spare the heart- 
hardening effects of such brutal exhibitions upon human na- 
ture. Were all military executions suspended for ten years 
by the authorities of the Spanish-American republics, I have 
no doubt the people would lose all their taste for such sanguin- 
ary spectacles, and the cause of humanity be greatly benefited. 
In one hour and three quarters from the time of com- 
mencing the bloody drama, the troops marched from the place, 
and with no very agreeable feelings I hurried on board. Was 
it possible that these were the same kind of men as those 
whom I daily met, pursuing peaceful avocations in Buenos 
Ayres and other places, where no military force was stationed ? 
Did my friends in that city belong to the same class, and had 
they passions which could be aroused so far as to enable them 
to behold such butcheries as this with coldness and indiffer- 
I ; ence ? I asked myself these questions as I reflected upon the 
! late scene, and was puzzled to imagine how a people possess- 
ing so many friendly qualities, which were from their nature 
almost spontaneously productive of happiness, could throw 
them aside, and sacrifice their best interests, hopes, and life 
itself, in pandering to the ambition of a few, who seldom 
1 1 failed to reward their faithful service with the basest ingrati- 
tude, and often with death itself. So much for war, and the 
passion for military glory. 



430 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

CHAPTEE XLIII. 

Maldonado — The guerilla warfare — Notice to quit — Communicate with 
the citadel — The convoy — The attack — A night of it — Final defeat of 
the Riveristas — The island — Its ruined fortifications — Capture of a 
pickaroon — Jean Alexandre — Another change in the aspect of affairs 
— The demand of the allies — Refusal of Gov. Rosas — Consequences — 
Seizure of the fleet — Our escape — Arrive at Buenos Ayres — My dis- 
appointment — Ordered to the Parana — The Phillemore. 

In May our duty was changed to that of conveying ammu- 
nition to the different military posts on the qpast, and towards 
its close we entered the harbor of Maldonado, freighted with 
that article. It was evident to all that the conveying of the 
boxes containing the cartridges from the beach to the fort was 
to be no child's play. From the rigging, with the aid of a 
glass, I could detect small parties of from ten to fifty men 
each, manoeuvering at various distances from the high tower 
which overlooked the plain ; and the little puffs of smoke from 
these squads told of mischief to the garrison, who were evi- 
dently on the alert, as was proved at intervals by the booming 
of artillery. 

These movements served to occupy our attention until 
nightfall, when a partilla of the Riveristas suddenly made 
their appearance on the shore, and sent us notice to quit in the 
shape of a volley of carbine balls. A charge of grape from 
our pivot-gun cleared the beach in a twinkling, and at about 
half-past ten p. m. twenty-live of our men were landed and 
posted upon one of the sand hills which commanded the vicini- 
ty, and a man acquainted with the locality was dispatched to 
the fort to give notice of our arrival. The boxes were now 
transferred to the beach, after which another party of twenty 
were stationed upon a hillock about one hundred and fifty 
yards west of the former. We could not reasonably hope to 
escape some annoyance before getting rid of our charge, and 
therefore held ourselves in readiness for instant action. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 431 

Nearly two hours had passed when the trampling of horses' 
feet announced the approach of a large body of troops. We 
were instantly on the alert ; but the signal previously agreed 
upon appeared on their approaching the port and gave notice 
that they were friends ; and the force (a squadron of lancers) 
having halted in line of battle about fifty yards inland, seve- 
ral wagons which they had convoyed were conducted to the 
beach and loaded with the boxes. In the meantime we had 
paid our respects to the officer in command, and passed along 
the line of troops, who were about five hundred in number, 
and sat their horses grim and silent, in momentary expecta- 
tion of the appearance of an enemy. In twenty minutes 
everything was in readiness for the return of the column, and 
our men were already withdrawing from the hillocks prepara- 
tory to re-embarking, when the lancers suddenly wheeled from 
column into line, with leveled weapons and loud cries of 
" Viva la Confederation /" and spurred their horses to meet the 
charge of a formidable body of horse, who loomed up as black 
as Erebus and dashed forward to the cry of " Rivera o nine, te /" 
Quickly uniting the two detachments, which formed a stout 
body of forty-seven men, who, being armed with muskets and 
bayonets, would be far more effective in clicking the second 
onset of the Eiveristas, we moved briskly toward a steep 
hummock, of which we took possession. The two parties had 
already met and recoiled from each other ; the wagons had 
again retreated to the cover of the schooner's gun ; and our 
party of lancers, having fallen back to the outer edge of the 
sand hills, stood ready to receive the second charge of the 
enemy. 

Our men from the Federal were now posted on the brow 
of the hummock, about seventy-five yards in advance and to 
the left of the line of battle of the lancers A quarter of an 
hour elapsed, and the whole line of the Eiveristas again ap- 
peared in full career. A cadet had been dispatched to the 
schooner to give notice of the state of affairs, and as the line 



432 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

came thundering on, they were saluted with an oblique volley 
of musketry from our men, which threw their right wing into 
confusion. Before they recovered from this surprise our arms 
were all loaded again, and our second volley was followed by 
a random shower of grape from the Federal, which completed 
their rout, and the whole line broke up and began to move off 
in small parties to the left. The men were clamorous for pur- 
suit ; but as it was probable they would rally as soon as they 
were relieved from our harassing fire, I kept the hillock, 
while the whole battalion of Argentine lancers, as if perfectly 
satisfied with our efforts in their favor, remained immovable. 
Another discharge from the vessel, and the loud singing of the 
iron shower to the east of us gave notice of an attempt to 
gain our rear by the cover of the sand hills. This made a 
change of front necessary ; and descending from the hillock, 
we made a run for another, some three hundred yards to the 
east and nearer the vessel. As we passed, the lancers were in 
motion for the campo, and saluted us with shouts of " Bravis- 
sima /" and by the time we were posted, they had disappeared 
in the gloom. 

It was pitchy dark, and nothing could be seen of either 
friends or foes. Hardly knowing why, I had thrown myself 
down upon the western slope of the hummock, and all but 
three had followed my example. These three served to reveal 
our position to a small party of the enemy, who had dismount- 
ed, and with carbine in hand had approached to within fifty 
yards of usby crawling upon their hands and knees. Taking 
the three men for a picket, they fired a volley at them, which 
brought down two and wounded the third, and springing up, 
they rushed forward until within a few paces, when they were 
saluted with a shower of balls from our whole force. Once 
more stillness fell upon the scene, but only for a moment. The 
sound of another charge came loud upon the ear, and in a 
few seconds the whole body, moving in column between the 
sand hills, presented their front sections directly before us. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 433 

When within thirty yards, half of our force delivered their 
fire with murderous effect, and after an instant's pause the 
second volley was poured upon them. Had they pressed on, 
we should have been surrounded and cut to pieces. But a 
moment's halt to restore order in their ranks was fatal to them, 
and gave us an opportunity to re-load, when we poured a 
scathing fired upon them, which decided the affair. They 
were thrown into utter disorder, and the lancers at that mo- 
ment made their appearance, and taking the broken column in 
flank, completely routed and put them to flight. 

Daylight showed the Riveristas scattered far and wide over 
the campo, with the Argentine cavalry in full pursuit, and the 
wagons now proceeded to the fortress, escorted by our forces. 
At 10 a. m. we had returned to the beach ; and after burying 
our two men, and conveying three more who were wounded to 
the vessel, I walked over the site of our night's operations to 
mark the effect of our fire. It had been terrible, and, sick of 
the scene, I gave up the inquisition, and embarking the men, 
we left the dead of both friends and foes to be disposed of by 
the garrison. - 

This place (Maldonado) had been an important position in 
the hands of the Brazilians, and the harbor had been defended 
formerly by a strong fort upon the island which protects it 
from the sea. But its solid walls of stone and lime cement 
were in ruins, and the heavy guns which had garnished its 
ramparts lay upon the ground trunnionless and fast consuming 
with rust. The harbor, though small, has a sufficient depth 
of water to enable a frigate to enter with ease, but the holding- 
ground is poor, and our little schooner at one time narrowly 
escaped going ashore in a heavy squall. 

We remained at Maldonado until the next day, when at 
about eleven a. m. the appearance of a small craft off the island, 
with the Chacabuco in chase, being something unusual, we 
got under way and ran out of the harbor. Upon approach- 
ing near enough to make out her signals, we found that the 

37 



434 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

chase was a pickaroon from Montevideo, and 41s the Chacabuco 
was a dull sailer, we at once set off in pursuit. The wind was 
light and baffling until about three p. M., when a strong breeze 
set in from the north-east, and the poor wretches in the little 
vessel, which proved to be nothing but one of the baleineiros, 
or large whale-boats, I have alluded to elsewhere, were almost 
drowned by the press of sail which they carried, in hopes 
to escape from us. But they might as well have spared them- 
selves the labor, for ere five o'clock p. m. they were securely 
bestowed on board of the Federal. The privateer had a 
crew of fourteen men well provided with small arms, and 
had managed to escape out of Montevideo the night pre- 
vious. She had been discovered by Col. Nicola, the pre- 
sent commander of the Chacabuco, who at first supposed it 
was some man-of-war's launch and took no notice of her; 
but her after- movements induced him to make sail in chase, 
when finding they endeavored to escape, he at once suspected 
her true character and continued in pursuit. Had it not been 
for our interference, the little vessel would have dodged her 
pursuer, without a doubt, and I for one ardently wished we had 
been in Buenos Ayres instead of Maldonado at the time. The 
patrone in command was an old Frenchman named Jean Alex- 
andre, whom I had formerly known while serving under the 
Oriental flag. He was a native of Pouilliac, department of the 
Gironde, in France, and had spent many years of his life in 
the United States of America, and served under Gen. Jackson 
at New-Orleans in January, 1815. The poor fellow could not 
have been placed in a more precarious situation than he now 
occupied, and he understood the full extent of his danger. 
He was completely overwhelmed by his capture, and did not 
hesitate to declare his conviction that the hour of his de- 
livery to the Government of Buenos Ayres would be the last 
he should spend upon earth. On reaching the-mount, we were 
ordered by the Admiral to convey the prisoners and their craft 
to that port and surrender them to the Government. I never 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 435 

met the Frenchman again, or learned anything in regard to his 
fate. His days probably ended at the retiro, where thousands 
of others have been relieved of life's joys and sorrows. 

From this time to the ninth of July we made several trips 
from port to port, without anything worthy of notice transpir- 
ing. But a change was to come over the spirit and aspect of 
affairs at Montevideo. The English and French Admirals, for- 
getting their national antipathies, now determined, as nothing 
further was to be made out of the Riveristas, to try their 
hands upon the Argentines ; and declaring their intention to 
become pacificators, they intimated to Governor Rosas that it 
was their sovereign will that the troops of the Confederation 
should be withdrawn from around the beleaguered city and 
peace be restored, under the penalty of a seizure of the Ar- 
gentine fleet, a blockade of their ports, and the commence- 
ment of hostilities generally, to all of which that dignitary re- 
turned an unqualified refusal, asserting the right of the South 
American States to manage their own affairs, and denying the 
right and justice of either the British or French to interfere. 
This roused their ire, and when we ran through the squadron 
on our way to the Buceo, although we noticed they were all 
stripped of, their colors ; yet as we had been accustomed to such 
sights for nearly three years, we merely understood it as some 
temporary punishment inflicted upon the Admiral by our An- 
glo-French supervisors. With this understanding, therefore, we 
proceeded to the latter port, and having delivered our dis- 
patches, we received others from Oribe, with orders to convey 
them at once to their destination — Buenos Ayres. 

In one hour's time we were again under way on our return. 
For a moment we hove to near the Admiral, to receive any 
communications from him he might wish to make, and now for 
the first time learnt the true state of affairs. There was no 
longer any such thing as an Argentine squadron. The various 
vessels had been divided between the English, French, and 
Montevideans, they having given two of our schooners to the 



436 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

latter. All the foreigners in the service, officers and men, had 
been discharged or enlisted in their own service, and they had 
forced the hypochondriacal old Admiral to surrender for ever 
the dignity he had enjoyed for years as sole arbiter of marine 
affairs in the Eio de la Plata. The Chacabuco, being at Buenos 
Ayres, was exempted from this seizure ; and as nothing was to 
be found of old Brown, and any farther stay in that locality 
would involve the loss of the vessel, we made sail at once for 
home. 

We were not a moment too soon. Ere we had gained a 
distance of five miles above the mount we noticed the sails of 
Her Majesty's corvette the Curacoa, as they dropped from her 
yards, her head swinging round to the course we were steer- 
ing, and in a few moments she was after us under a complete 
crowd of canvas, firing guns as signals for us to heave to. But 
not feeling inclined to do this, we packed all sail upon the 
vessel and made the best of our way to Buenos Ayres. I 
always had entertained the hope that I might be allowed to 
reside peaceably in the Argentine capital, hence my anxiety 
to escape the seizure. But had I been able to foresee the rascal- 
ity of the Government I was serving, I should have taken a 
different course. 

It was morning when we arrived at Buenos Ayres, and the 
news of the hostile proceedings of the English and French had 
already reached the seat of government, and in view of the 
present state of things it was but natural for me to expect a 
full discharge from the service. I was ordered to remain on 
board of the Federal until further orders. These were not 
long in coming. Just after nightfall a large launch filled with 
men came alongside, and covered the deck of the vessel with a 
heterogenous mass of bipeds of every hue and color. They were 
distributed in every part of the schooner, which was presently 
got under way and left the port. As we approached the outer 
roads, where an English brig of w r ar was already stationed, per- 
fect silence was enforced to prevent our egress from being 



"WILD OATS SOWINGS. 437 

discovered, and a dense fog at the time aiding them, we unfor- 
tunately succeeded, and in a short time were clear of the port. 
It required but little penetration to discover that the river 
Parana or the Uruguay was our destination, and the next morn- 
ing our eyes were greeted with the sight of the island of Martin 
Garcia and its fortifications — a place I had devoutly wished 
never again to look upon. The Chacabuco's people were 
already stripping the fort and batteries of their guns and what- 
ever of warlike material could be found, a business at which 
our force was at once employed. A number of merchant ves- 
sels which had been stopped were receiving the warlike freight, 
and all was hurry and bustle. 

For the three succeeding days we were employed in em- 
barking the heavy guns, and had barely finished, when on the 
fourth the British brig of war the Phillemore hove in sight. 
During the early part of the morning, two of the largest vessels 
had been sunk in the channel a small distance below the fort, 
by order of Co]. Nicola, who commanded all our operations 
for the present ; but by some oversight their masts had not 
been cut away when the man-of-war hove in sight, and they 
were discovered by the enemy, who took measures at once to 
ascertain to what extent the entrance to the river was obstruct- 
ed. As the brig continued to near us under shortened sail, 
Nicola, fearful of another seizure, immediately made the signal 
to get under way, and in half an hour's time we were off up 
the river, on perceiving which the Englishman came to anchor, 
in which position we lost sight of him. With light and variable 
winds we at length entered the Parana, and once more bid 
good-bye to what was going on in the outer world ; for the 
news of what transpired beyond these rivers had always become 
almost forgotten by the time it reached us. Our progress was 
very slow, as we did not resort to Garibaldi's method of gain- 
ing ground, i. e. by warping, and we were therefore over two 
weeks in ascending the river, a distance of two hundred miles 
from Buenos Ayres, 

37* 



438 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

Obligado — Fortifying — Determination of the Argentines to oppose the 
progress of the enemy — Obstructions — Potato-seeds — Col. Thome — 
Means of opposing the enemy — Arival of Don Eamon and his niece — 
Dissatisfaction of the English seamen — Folly of resistance — The deser- 
tion — The capture — Fate of the deserters — My fears relieved — The 
traitor and his sentence — The doomed men — The camp — Appearance 
of the Anglo-French fleet — Forebodings. 

At length we cast, anchor in the reach of Obligado, a short 
distance from- the puebla of San Pedro, which lay to the north- 
west of us. The main channel of the river here ran between 
the Argentine bank and an island about six hundred yards 
distant. At the upper extremity of the reach a bold promon- 
tory, some seventy-five or eighty feet above the level of the river, 
jutted into the stream, the top of which offered a most eligible 
spot from which an approaching enemy might be annoyed. To 
the south of this point the coast, which was low, curved slightly 
to the west for a few hundred yards, and then resumed its 
more usual trend to the south-east. In front of this curve, 
about eighty yards from the beach, a pillar of sand (concrete) 
some thirty feet in height and about the same diameter at its 
base, tapering to about ten feet at the top, rose abruptly from 
the river, like a guardian giant posted to warn us of the ap- 
proach of an enemy. The island opposite was a dense jungle 
of bush and vine. Here a considerable military force had 
assembled, but it had not as yet been decided whether the place 
should be fortified or not. The troops consisted of three bat- 
talions of blacks (infantry) and a corps of lancers, and, includ- 
ing the people on board of the vessels, the entire force was 
about fifteen hundred men. 

Here we lay inactive until near the last of August, when 
we were ordered to fortify, as the Anglo-French confederates 
had determined to enter the river for the purpose of breaking 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 439 

up the commercial monopoly of the Argentines, and establish- 
ing the right of way to all nations to ascend the Parana and 
Paraguay rivers for the purposes of lawful trade. This was 
an immunity the Argentines had always enjoyed, and of 
course was the source of an immense revenue, which went 
exclusively into her own coffers. This had been the principal 
cause of her decided pre-eminence among the States of the 
Confederacy, and to relinquish her import and export dues on 
everything entering or coming out of the river, was a policy to 
avoid which any and every sacrifice must be made. But there 
was much doubt, even among the most sanguine, as to the 
possibility of preventing the enemy from succeeding in their 
attempt, and therefore they were determined to make Johnny 
Bull and his unnatural brother Frog pay as dearly for the 
whistle as their (our) resources would enable them. 

A scene of activity and bustle now commenced in every 
quarter of the camp. Every man was set to work, and the 
process of raising redoubts of pounded clay went on with 
great energy. Upon the river a corresponding activity was 
observed. The merchant vessels, to the number of twenty-two, 
were moored head and stern in a line across the river, at 
equal distances from each other, after which they were securely 
fastened by strong chains passing alternately over and under 
them, the ends of the cables being attached to heavy anchors 
buried in the opposite banks ; rendering the whole a formidable 
barrier to the progress of any ordinary enemy. But the 
General-in-chief, to whom the charge of defending the river 
was intrusted, hardly understood the nature of the foe he had 
to deal with, in supposing that such an obstacle could for any 
great length of time check the progress of the heavy steam 
frigates of France and England. At the southern end of this 
chain of vessels two breastworks were constructed about four 
feet six inches in height, eight feet at the base, sloping in front 
to live in diameter. At the top great care was taken in giving 
these defenses a warlike aspect, and the display of symmetry in 



440 

the proportions of the works was the only merit thej possesse 
as they were absolutely useless as shelter to the men. 

In visiting this part of our field of operations, while watch- 
ing the men employed in preparing the earth, which they 
worked into a stiff clay before it was added to the rising mass, 
I noticed they threw up a number of small round bodies at 
every spadeful. Taking one of them in my hand and freeing 
it from the coating of clay, I found it was nothing less than 
the simon-pure original potato, of what is usually designated 
the Irish species. On cutting it open, I found it was very 
watery, and had a milky appearance. The Paysanos (natives) 
told me they were not fit for food until after the second year's 
cultivation. 

The natives of the provinces are not famous for industrious 
habits, and therefore the defenses rose but slowly. Meanwhile 
two other earthworks had been laid out — the principal one 
upon the south-eastern extremity of the reach, and the other 
upon the before-mentioned promontory to the north-east. The 
Federal was now dismasted and added to the chain of vessels 
which spanned the stream, their spars having been long since 
snugly stowed upon their decks, and our whole ship's company 
were transferred to the north-eastern battery, to assist in its 
construction and defense. 

The reader is aware that the Argentines maintained a 
squadron of small armed vessels in this river, whose rendezvous 
was the Bageada, where they had warmly contested our right 
to pass, at the time of our service under Garibaldi. This 
squadron, which was under the command of an American by 
the name of Thorne, a native of Baltimore, Md., who held the 
rank of colonel in the Argentine service, had been summoned to 
assist in the defense of the place ; and arriving about the 
middle of September, he was directed by the commanding 
General, Mancilla, to assume the direction of affairs in the 
battery where I had been posted. The earthwork had been 
finished, and we were now procuring and mounting our can- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 441 

non, of which seven had been assigned to us. With the ex- 
ception of three of these, we might as well have had none, the 
remaining four being of no use whatever. They were honey- 
combed and trunnionless, and to supply the latter deficiency 
they had been placed on hurdles, to which they were strapped 
by bands of iron. The calibre of these four pieces were re- 
spectively one two-pounder swivel, two four, and one six- 
pounder. The charge of the artillery upon the battery had been 
committed to me ; but when I saw these unserviceable guns, 
I refused to have anything to do with them ; and as there were 
no others to be procured, they were pointed through the empty 
embrasures. The three guns by which we expected to be able 
to annoy the enemy were the twelve-pounder from the Federal, 
and two nines ; but these were useless when opposed to the 
long 24, 32, and 64-pounders of the English and French. 

Upon the south-east battery No. 1, the ordnance was in 
good condition for service, the calibres being 9's, 12's, and 18's. 
No. 2 had five long guns, 18's and 24's: which were the only 
really serviceable guns at this post. No. 3, designed for seven 
guns, had but three, which, in point of size, were useless. 
The four batteries mustered an aggregate of twenty- two pieces 
of ordnance, of which ten ranged from 12's to 24's : upon 
the rest but little dependence could be placed. On the oppo- 
site side of the reach, an armed brig (the Kepublicano) mount- 
ing twelve guns, and commanded by my old friend Major 
Craig, was so disposed that her broadside could sweep the 
locality in which the anchors were situated which held the 
chains, and otherwise prevent anything interfering with our 
barricade. 

About the middle of October, I was surprised by the arri- 
val of Manuela and her uncle at the post. The old hidalgo, 
finding that he must accompany his niece, had resolved to turn 
the trip into one of profit ; accordingly he had brought with 
him three large wagons loaded with groceries and dry goods, 
and the whole force at the place having recently been paid off 



442 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

by the Government, the old man drove a flourishing business 
for some two weeks and a half, when, his stock being com- 
pletely used up., and thinking his visit had been long enough, 
he gave notice of his intended return. There were already 
rumors in circulation that the allied squadrons had entered the 
river, and I therefore joined with the old gentleman in en- 
deavoring to persuade Manuela to return with him until we 
had passed the crisis, which was now evidently fast approach- 
ing. But in this we both failed, and he departed alone, after 
recommending us both to General Mancilla. 

The batteries were manned solely by those who had for- 
merly belonged to the marine service, who, to the number of 
one hundred and fifty men, were composed of seamen of all 
nations, of whom at least thirty were British subjects. A gene- 
ral feeling of dissatisfaction prevailed among them in view of 
the approaehing conflict with their countrymen ; but they 
were in the lion's mouth, and resistance to the authority of the 
governing influence was sure of meeting with summary and 
condign punishment. Although it was my duty to watch 
these men and detect anything like an attempt at desertion, 
yet there were many of them who, careless of the consequences, 
avowed their determination to seize the first opportunity which 
should offer for their escape. They did this the more readily 
in my presence, in consequence of their knowledge of my being 
detained in the service against my will, and hoping I would 
join them in such an attempt. But knowing the precautions 
that had been taken to detect any persons who might leave 
the post, I warned them of the folly and danger of such a 
proceeding. 

For a short time I had reason to suppose my advice was 
taken, and everything went on smoothly ; but on the evening of 
the 12th of November I overheard by accident a conversation 
between a couple of the men, which let me into the secret that 
an attempt was to be made by four of the Englishmen to seize 
one of the boats and desert. I lost no time in warning these 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 443 

men to desist, and they promised to proceed no further in the 
scheme, and with this assurance I was satisfied and took no 
more notice of the matter. At midnight an alarm-gun and 
the rattling of drums summoned us to the batteries, when the 
truth flashed upon me at once — the four men had gone off*. 
The j had belonged to Thome's battery ; and that officer, after 
being summoned and reprimanded by the General for his want 
of vigilance, returned to his post to re-convey to all the men 
under his command the gist of Mantilla's blessing, with such 
alterations and additions as best suited his own temper. Boats 
were manned and dispatched in pursuit, while guns were 
being fired at intervals to give notice to the row-guard — who 
were stationed in the river below to warn us of the approach 
of the enemy — to be on the alert for deserters. A light rain 
had set in, the first we had experienced during the season, and 
as it was now spring, we were fearful it might last a long 
time — a circumstance much to be dreaded, as the sods had all 
been stripped from the surface of the ground, which was already 
slippery from the heavy fogs that prevailed. We were kept 
in the batteries all night, and the people, after a thorough 
parboiling, were permitted to retire to their quarters late in 
the morning. It was generally known throughout the camp, 
by nightfall, that the deserters were captured, and their fate 
served to deter any others from making a similar attempt. A 
strict inquisition was instituted, to ascertain if there were 
any others engaged in plotting for their escape ; and although 
nothing of the kind had ever entered my head, I was fearful 
some of the men would intimate that my suspicions had been 
aroused, and that I had been in the habit of warning others 
of the danger of such proceedings, which placed me in an 
awkward predicament, as I had failed to let my suspicions be 
known to my superiors. All the foreigners were called out 
by name, and fourteen of them were selected and marched off 
by themselves. These, I afterwards learned, were conducted a 
short distance from the camp and brutally put to death. 



444: WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

The alarm guns that were fimfl the night before having ap- 
prised the guard-boats below of the desertion/ the four men were 
surprised to find, after they had proceeded some seven miles 
from the post, that their course was blocked up by the appear- 
ance of three barges. Despairing of escape, they ran their 
boat in among the sedge upon the bank, where they left it, and 
endeavored to escape by crawling away upon their hands and 
knees as rapidly as possible. Unfortunately for them, all their 
motions had been watched from the bank of the river by a 
body of horsemen, which had been dispatched in pursuit in that 
direction, and they were pounced upon by these merciless beings 
ere they had proceeded fifty yards from the spot where they 
had landed. Three of the number were instantly sabred, while 
the fourth, having hid himself in the thick grass, for a moment 
longer was permitted to hope for escape. The guachos, armed 
with their long knives and sabres, searched in every direction, 
with loud shouts of death to the English deserter, who they at 
length discovered, as he was endeavoring to relieve himself 
from the painful position in which he lay. Throwing up his 
hands in despair, he begged them to spare his life, as he could 
give information of others who were plotting to escape. On 
hearing this, the commander of the party gave orders to bind 
him, and place him in one of the barges to be conveyed back 
to the post. The ears of the three who had been sabred were 
then cut off, and placed in a bag and taken to headquarters, 
where they were exhibited to General Man cilia, who required 
this proof of the capture of the delinquents. The scoundrel 
who was spared, after being conveyed to the Eepublicano, 
gave the information which resulted in the murder of the 
fourteen men I have before alluded to, after which he was 
sentenced to receive two hundred lashes on board of that vessel 
and two hundred in the camp on shore, and in case he survived 
that punishment, he was to be shot — a sentence which proved 
that even the Argentines had a just appreciation of the merits 
of his case. The first part of the sentence was duly carried 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 445 

out, under the supervision of Major Craig, the two hundred 
lashes leaving his back in a most horrible condition. He was 
then left to recover from its effects before receiving the second 
part. The wretch now earnestly begged for death, but it 
was denied him, and his lucky destiny opened the way for 
his escape. 

Nothing further could be done towards strengthening the 
defenses on account of the weather, which continued wet and 
uncomfortable. The troops were kept continually exercising 
on the batteries, their tramping playing the mischief with the 
wet clayey soil, and keeping our men paddling about in the 
sticky mass. Our battery, as well as No. 1, at the south- 
eastern extremity of the reach, had the cover of a dense thicket, 
the principal component of which was the shrub which I have 
formerly described as bearing a resemblance to the musquite 
of the southern States. Within this thicket our camp was 
pitched, the majority of the men occupying huts constructed 
of brush ..and covered with sail-cloth. On the whole, we were 
pretty comfortably situated in regard to quarters, and in spite 
of the drenching rains, by digging a network of little trenches 
or gutters we managed to dispose of the water, and keep our 
habitations dry. In such weather no one cared to expose 
himself more than he was absolutely compelled to, and as we 
were not subjected to guard duty, the time slipped rapidly 
away. 

On the morning of the 1 9th of the month our guard-boats 
gave notice of the near approach of the enemy, who were 
but a few miles below the reach, and at about one p. m. they 
hove in sight, to the number of thirteen sail, including three 
steam frigates — two English, the Gorgon and Firebrand, and 
one French, the Fulton. The others were corvettes and brigs, 
among the latter the San Martin, formerly the flag-ship of 
Admiral Brown, a son of whom held command in one of the 
batteries. The enemy's fleet anchored about four miles below 
the post, and sent his lightest vessel forward to reconnoitre and 

38 



446 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

try the calibre of our guns. In this they did not succeed, as 
they only drew the fire of a small gunboat, which moved 
towards them in derision. The extent of the preparations for 
their reception appeared to surprise them, as they forbore to 
attack us during the afternoon, doubtless supposing the reduc- 
tion of the place would occupy a large portion of one day 
at least. We were kept constantly on the alert; but the 
weather during the previous day having become fine, we did 
not feel much inclined for sleep, with all this warlike dis- 
play before us. The night was calm and beautiful, and the 
men gathered in knots about the guns, discussing the probable 
result of a conflict with the powerful force before us, their 
conclusions, in the main, being verified to the letter during 
the ensuing day. 



CHAPTER XLV. 



The Patricios — Marcilla's address to the troops — A medley — Major 
Craig — A magnificent scene — The battle of Obligado — Ignorance of the 
natives — The San Martin — Dreadful slaughter — Explosion of the Re- 
publicano— Death of Craig — Fearlessness and noble conduct of the 
women — Intrepidity of Mancilla — Explosion of the shell and its effects 
— My situation and sufferings — Hope — The negro's prayer — Misery — 
A night of despair — A wonderful providence — Relief — The hammock 
— My situation discovered — The French officers — Their opinion. 

The thunder of the morning gun fell upon wakeful ears on 
the morning of the 20th of November, 1845, and the rattling 
of the drums summoning the troops to their ranks woke up 
the echoes of the river below, from whence similar sounds 
reached our ears. The men formed in line, and, under the 
command of Thorne, were marched to the campo in rear of 
the post, where the whole force of the garrison were forming 
an immense square. Among them I noticed a fine-looking 
battalion of men who had just arrived, and on inquiry I was 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 447 

told they were a part of the national militia called Patricios, 
from the puebla of San Pedro. But in spite of their good 
looks, they proved to have only come to show themselves, as 
there were not a dozen of the whole force left by twelve, m. 

The entire number on the ground was upward of two 
thousand, and the square having been formed, General Man- 
cilia, dressed in a splendid uniform, rode in, and drawing his 
sword he harangued the troops, who were all to run away 
before the next four hours had past, calling upon them to look 
around at the beautiful country, the freedom of which had 
been purchased with the blood of their fathers from the despots 
of Europe, who, he asserted, had again returned to try to re- 
duce their loved land to their rule. "Your fathers gave this 
land to you, and it is yours," said he : " they consecrated it to 
freedom, and bestowed upon you the sacred trust to preserve 
it free." At this last clause the negroes composing the reg- 
ular infantry, every one of whom had drawn his first breath 
in Africa, were loud in their vivas. But he continued : " This 
land is ours, and we will defend it to the last breath — will you 

not r 

For a few seconds the uproar was tremendous. The troops 
shouted their vivas, waving their caps upon the points of their 
bayonets, the drums beat, the trumpets of the lancers sounded 
a charge, and the band of one of the negro regiments, com- 
posed of a cracked clarionet, two trombones, a valve trumpet, 
two French horns, and a bass-drum, made a din which drowned 
the whole. Almost mechanically I cast my eyes towards the 
Anglo-French squadron, in the expectation of seeing them 
escaping for their lives down the river under a full head of 
steam ; but the light vapory smoke told that the steam was fast 
generating for a totally different purpose. What the conclud- 
ing words of Marcilla's speech were I could not make out, he 
kept his horse in such rapid motion around the square ; and as 
he gained the most hearty applause from the blacks, he saw fit 
to bestow the greater part of his attention upon them. 



448 „ WILD OATS SOWINGS, 

This part of the morning's entertainments occupied nearly 
an hour, and it was eight o'clock before we started to return 
to the battery. While on the way, my hand was suddenly 
grasped from behind by some person, and turning, I met the 
gaze of Major Craig. There was an air of seeming bewilder- 
ment and alarm upon his face, which imparted to it such an 
an intense look of solemnity — a most unusual expression to 
be seen on his countenance — that I could not forbear laugh- 
ing outright. The old fellow squeezed my hand until the blood 
tingled in the ends of the fingers, and giving another of his 
mysterious looks, he broke out with, " Why, my dear boy, 
this is no laughing matter, I assure you ; we cannot tell how 
many of us will meet together to-morrow morning." " Yery 
true, my dear Major," said I, laughing again in spite of myself, 
" and therefore you and I will shake hands and say good-bye, 
hoping to meet again soon." The old man dropped my hand, 
offended at the light reception I gave him, and hurried off. 
I never saw him more. Ere the sun had finished -its daily 
course, the Major had paid the debt of nature. 

Once more we ranged ourselves around the guns in the 
battery, and by this time a part of the fleet of the enemy were 
in motion ; we therefore hastily dispatched a breakfast of bread 
and beef, with the accompanying matte, by which time the 
steam-frigates had taken the sailing vessels in tow and were 
steaming slowly towards us. For one moment I left the bat- 
tery to assure myself of the departure of one for whom I cared 
more than life itself, (my Manuela,) and quickly returning, upon 
the instant the word was given to stand by. A host of causes 
conspired to make it a moment of vast interest. The hostile 
vessels were taking up their positions as coolly and as silently 
right under the muzzles of our guns, as if they were perform- 
ing the same operation in some friendly port, and the different 
regiments were marching to their various -posts with their 
bands playing the national anthem ; the Patricios were march- 
ing up the steep road leading from the beach of the river to 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 449 

the spot occupied by our battery, while the voices of the whole 
battalion, joining in unison with a band in which violins formed 
a principal feature, sounded magnificently. 

As the head of their column reached the top of the road, 
the first shot was fired from our redoubt, and the colors were 
displayed upon all the fortifications. This was the signal 
to open a general fire, and the roar of the guns and shout- 
ing of the Argentine war-cry, " Death to the English and 
French !" served to drown everything else. The enemy were 
not backward in responding to our compliments, and the 
shower of shot, shells, and congreve rockets poured into our 
frail earthworks, which offered no more resistance to their 
deadly course than as many straws would to the course of an 
ox. The steam-frigates, at almost a safe distance to themselves, 
hurled their murderous missiles upon our troops, stationed in 
the rear of the lower batteries, with tremendous effect, killing 
and wounding them by whole platoons. It appeared that the 
majority of the natives were not acquainted with the char- 
acter of these destructive missiles (the shells.) I overheard 
a number of our Patricios, whose attention was attracted to 
their bursting, calling to their comrades to look at the rotten 
shot as they shivered into fragments. Two of them had the 
temerity to endeavor to extract the burning fuse from one 
which fell near them, and were blown to atoms, while the 
most of their comrades escaped by throwing themselves fiat 
upon the ground. 

Our fire told with considerable effect upon the enemy, w T ho, 
as a general thing, endeavored to keep their vessels in the same 
position as at first taken by them ; but in one or two instances 
they found their quarters too warm, and did not hesitate to 
give evidence of it by scrabbling out of their berths as fast as 
they could. The San Martin, an object to which the special 
attention of young Brown, son of the late Admiral, was directed, 
was completely riddled ; but in spite of everything she retained 
her place, and by a miracle was kept afloat. She was manned 

38* 



450 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

by Frenchmen, whose fire throughout the day was far more 
effectual than that of their ally. The firing commenced about 
nine o'clock, and as the action progressed, that of the steam- 
frigates grew more and more destructive, and by eleven it was 
frightful in the extreme ; and the poor troops, with nothing to 
do, were compelled to stand idle and be shot down by the half- 
score. The negroes fared much the worse, the lancers being 
drawn up and partially sheltered in the rear of the shrubbery 
on the right of our battery. Soon after eleven, the havoc 
becoming more dreadful every moment, the infantry began to 
break away from their ranks and disperse, and shortly the 
campo was alive with the fugitives. Mancilla immediately 
ordered the lancers to charge upon the stragglers and cut down 
every man who refused to return to his post, and about fifty of 
the fugitive negroes lost their lives. About one p. m. the Ke- 
publicano armed brig was blown up by order of Major Craig, 
who came over and joined us at the batteries, where he was 
immediately put to death by order of Mancilla, for having left 
his post without orders. 

Shortly after this transaction I was surprised to notice five 
women moving around in the rear of the battery in one of 
the most dangerous places, doing their utmost to assist and 
comfort a large number of the wounded who were scattered 
around in that locality, furnishing them with water, assisting 
them to place themselves in a comfortable position, etc. A 
slight exclamation of surprise procured me the information 
that at least one half the female portion of the population of 
San Pedro were in attendance upon the wounded. A few 
moments afterward the cadet of the battery pointed to a group 
of the noble-hearted creatures, among whom my eyes fell upon 
Manuela, and in an instant every other feeling was absorbed 
in my fears for her safety. 

General Mancilla had stood upon the parapet of our battery 
for the last hour, watching the effect of our fire and occasion- 
ally giving directions which vessel should be the next object 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 451 

of our favors. He was a large man, and his figure offered a 
fair mark to the whole of the enemy T s fleet, who were trying 
their skill in gunnery in the hope of punishing his temerity. By 
his direction I leveled the gun at the Gorgon, but the shot 
plunged in the water at least twenty yards short of the vessel, 
and with a malediction upon me for my carelessness he left the 
place, and I became less exposed, as a large part of the enemy's 
fire was now turned upon batteries 1, 2, and 3, from which a 
spirited cannonade was still kept up from three or four pieces, 
which were yet in working order. But the steam-frigates hav- 
ing succeeded in forcing their way through our chain of vessels^ 
they chose a position from which they were enabled to sweep 
the interior of the lower batteries, and in a short time they 
were silenced and deserted altogether. 

After being relieved from the presence of Mancilla, I took 
the liberty of deserting my post for a few moments, during 
which I sought in vain for Manuela ; but being assured by one 
of the pueblanas, who had lately been with her, that she was safe 
and unharmed, I returned to my duty, which was well-nigh at 
an end. The three guns upon our battery were the only ones 
in working order in the whole line of defenses ; and as the 
greater part of the people had deserted the place, we only 
replied to the enemy through the 12-pounder of the Federal. 

It was useless remaining any longer, and Col. Thorne had 
just called to us to leave everything and escape, when a shell 
from the Gorgon burst among us, and I felt myself lifted from 
my feet, and hurled with great velocity through the air for a 
considerable distance before I struck the ground. My eyes 
closed upon the falling figures of the men around me, and all 
was darkness. A feeling of numbness had seized my left arm, 
and my right leg below the knee was filled with an intense 
burning pain, while my face appeared to glow with the heat of 
a blast-furnace. I felt I was lying in one of the many pools 
of mixed clay and water which were scattered around, but at 
what distance from the front of the battery I could not deter- 



452 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

mine. From the peculiar sensation in my face, I knew it was 
severely burnt or scorched : I was also totally blind, but whether 
my eyesight was destroyed, was a question for time to decide. 
To relieve the fever in my arm, I had sunk it in the soft clay 
and water — a measure to which I also resorted to ease the fierce 
heat which seemed to be consuming my leg ; in addition to 
which, a feverish thirst, in which my tongue felt like a strip of 
parched leather, tormented me, and I called loudly a number 
of times for some one to give me water. But I might as well 
have saved my breath, for there were none to answer me. All 
the signs of life that came to my hearing were the low moans 
of some two or three poor creatures who, from the souna of 
their voices, were near their last gasp. 

For a short time after this I had no recollection of what 
transpired, and suppose that I must have fainted ; at all events, 
when I was aroused to the sense of hearing, I found that some 
of our men had returned to the battery, and I at once discov- 
ered by the sound of their voices who they were. By this means 
I was enabled to call them by name, and soon succeeded in 
attracting their attention, and begged them to lead me away 
from the place, as I thought I could walk. To this they 
assented, and were about to lift me up to carry me, when a 
sharp firing of musketry gave them notice that the enemy's 
marines were landing above the battery where we were ; and 
fearful their retreat would be cut off, they left me, with 
the assurance that they would come for me as soon as they 
could procure the means 6f taking me away. An English 
negro, who had been my steward on board of the Federal, 
lingered for several moments after the others had gone, and I 
endeavored to induce him to remain and be taken prisoner or 
escape with me. But he had imbibed the notion that the Eng- 
lish and French would show us no quarter, and refused to be- 
lieve anything I could say to the contrary. * The firing now 
approached more closely, and being seized with fresh alarm, he 
sprang away, but again returned to say that a number of the 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 453 

women had been killed, and something fell indistinctly upon my 
ear about one who had been cut in two by a cannon-shot. I 
understood what the poor fellow meant to say, but his foot- 
steps died away with his last expression, " God help you !" 
and I was again alone. 

If my bodily sufferings were great, those of the mind now 
far exceeded them, and I devoutly wished that the next shot 
or shell would put an end to my existence. The enemy 
still continued to throw their missiles into our battery, 
although they had taken possession of those below, and had 
thrown all their guns into the river, with the exception of 
a few brass pieces which they designed to keep as trophies. 
The coolness of the atmosphere now told me that the day had 
merged into night ; but still the shells, and occasionally a con- 
greve rocket, hurtled through the air, the former bursting among 
the shrubbery and scattering destruction through the huts, 
many of which I judged to be on fire, from the strong smoke 
which was at times swept in my face by the wind. My wounds 
were now less painful, and although I was sensible of great 
bodily weakness, my mental faculties were unimpaired. I did 
not think of death resulting from my present injuries, but I 
considered it improbable that I should escape the iron hail 
which was poured upon the place, if the fire should be kept up 
through the night. The cause of this tremendous cannonade was 
to be found in the suspicion entertained by the English and 
French commanders that our troops had only retired to the 
cover of the wood, where they were waiting to attack any 
party who should be landed to complete the destruction of the 
defenses. 

Long and weary were the hours that night, and during 
their lingering passage everything that had transpired within 
my recollection was thought of again and again, and my mind 
dwelt upon the chances I had of being taken a prisoner by 
the enemy, and what disposal they would make of me. At 
length these feelings subsided into listlessness and I felt per- 



454 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

fectly indifferent as to what happened to or became of me. At 
length, feeling tired of the position in which I lay, I threw my 
arm around to ascertain whether there was anything within reach 
which I might draw under my head for a pillow, and my hand 
touched a large bag which the men who had last left me had 
forgotten in their hurry : it was a clothes-bag well filled, and 
with considerable exertion I drew it towards my head ; but it 
was too high, and wearied with the effort, I let my head drop 
against it to gain breath, and as I did so, a spent shot struck 
the bag with great force, glancing downward, and burying itselt 
in the earth beneath me. Had I been a moment later in placing 
the barrier, my brains would inevitably have been dashed 
out. Indifferent as I felt, I could not help considering this 
a wonderful providence, and again the train of thought start- 
ed afresh in my mind. Now, home (my own New-England 
home) and friends rose in imagination before me, and I ar- 
dently desired and looked forward to the time when I should 
once more see them ; and then the bitter thought of the blast- 
ed hopes, of which I was to drink the cup to the very dregs, 
with the image of poor Manuela, flitted across my mind, and 
almost drove me to madness. What preserved my senses, in 
the weakened state I was in, I know not. The recollection of 
those horrid events even now distract me. For the remainder 
of the night I fear I was very wicked, but over it let me draw 
a vail. God, I trust, has forgiven me. 

Towards morning the firing increased, and without know- 
ing which way I went, but taking the sound of the enemy's 
guns as a guide, I dragged myself over the ground in the direc- 
tion of the tents. I was right, and at length my head struck 
a bush : avoiding it, I crawled on, and my hand encountered 
one of the huts, at its entrance. Making my way in, my 
hand struck against what proved to be a pail, which to my 
great joy I found was full of water. In an instant my head 
was half buried in the cooling element, and I drank until my 
breath was exhausted. A very curious state of feeling sue- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 455 

ceedcd to this refreshment. Without rightly knowing why — 
whether from joy or sorrow, I could not define — but I wept 
long and violently, and when the fit passed off, my head felt 
relieved and a new strength seemed to possess my whole frame. 
Knowing that some of the huts had hammocks swinging in 
them, I threw my hand above me, and found that one was 
within my reach not more than two feet from the ground. I 
soon succeeded in getting into it, and had got quite comforta- 
bly situated, when a cannon-ball struck the bottom of the 
swinging couch and in an instant I was on the ground. This 
was no chance shot ; for I found, on being carried on board of 
the Gorgon, that my getting into the hammock had been seen 
from that vessel, and being on the look-out for living objects 
to exercise their skill upon, they had intended the favor for 
me only. 

I now contented myself with the ground for a couch, and 
during the forenoon I heard the people of the enemy's squad- 
ron at work upon the lower batteries, with an occasional mus- 
ket-shot from the sentries posted around, as some straggling 
gaucho flitted by the post. This was my surmise, and it 
proved to be correct. The sullen boom of a gun, followed by 
the hurtling shot or shell, was now heard only at long inter- 
vals, and I began to consider it doubtful whether the allies 
would take so much notice of the place where I was as to visit 
it. In this I was mistaken. My bodily strength was failing 
fast : my shattered arm was encased in a heavy mass of the 
clayey soil, which was hardened by the feverish blood upon 
the inside ; my leg was likewise plastered with the same mate- 
rial, so that the flow of blood in both limbs was stopped. The 
condition of my face was a great annoyance to me : the whole 
surface was covered with a black and hard crust, the cracking 
of which with every motion of the features occasioned severe 
pain. 

In this situation I tried to form some idea of the length of 
time I could live, in the event of being overlooked by the victors. 



456 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

This speculation was broken up by the sound of approaching 
footsteps, which was soon followed by the more regular tramp 
of a party who, from the words of command from the offi- 
cers, I knew were French marines. The heat of the sun indi- 
cated that it was considerably past noon, and its scorching 
beams rendered my position so uncomfortable that I was 
obliged to turn myself every few moments. This movement 
attracted the notice of the French officers, who instantly ap- 
proached me, and raising me up, they demanded who I was. 
To this I answered that I was an American of the United 
States of North America. For a moment they conferred 
together, during which they expressed their belief that I was 
an Englishman, who was merely attempting to dodge the re- 
sponsibility of being found in arms against my own flag by 
claiming to be a Yankee. However, they said nothing to me 
about the matter, but having decided they would send the 
English to look after me, they departed. For a few moments 
I thought they had concluded to leave me, and the prospect 
of dying by inches was by no means comforting ; but there 
was no help for it, and I endeavored to feel resigned to what- 
ever fate had in store for me. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 



The English surgeons — Interrogations— -Vindictiveness of the English 
sailors — False accusations — Protection — Refreshments — Delirium — 
Brutality — My destination — Blindness — Fever — Offers of service — 
British estimation of our defense of the post — Declaration of Com. 
Hotham — Confirmation — The ring — Under way — The Chacabuca de- 
stroyed—Santa Rosario — A ray of light— Sight restored — Transfer to 
the transport — Humanity of a British Admiral — Sail for the Mount — 
Delirium— Arrive off the Mount— Transferred to the Vernon frigate. 

Shortly after another party approached, and one of the 
number, exclaimed, as he raised my head, " What a horrible 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 457 

face !" The blood flowing through the cracks in the hard 
crust which covered it, which was quite black, must have pre- 
sented a singular aspect. • Another took hold of and attempted 
to raise my arm, but this was attended with such exquisite 
pain that I could not refrain from crying out. By their voices 
their conversation proved them to be a surgeon and his mates, 
they appeared to be an elderly man and two young men, and 
" Who are you I" at length demanded the elder. I answered, 
as I had formerly done to the Frenchman, that I was an 
American. " I think not," he replied; " but what were you 
doing here I" I answered that I was doing the same as every 
other person in the batteries. " Then you mean to say you 
were fighting against us I" "It is useless to deny it," said I ; 
u every one here at the time fought against you." " It is a 
judgment of God upon him," chimed in one of the younger 
ones, " You do not know what you are saying, Charles," re- 
marked the elder: "if you had been in the batteries, they 
would have compelled you to fight against us." " I would have 
died first," responded the other. " You don't know what you 
would do, young man," said I, " if old Mancilla's knife was at 
. your throat." " Were not the Englishmen who were with you 
compelled to fight t" I answered that all were, whether they 
were willing or not. His further questions — how many En- 
glishmen were in the batteries — who planned them and directed 
their erection — whether I had any hand in it — how long had I 
been in the service — what rank I held — who commanded the 
post — was Mancilla wounded — what had been our loss up to 
the time when I was wounded — who commanded this battery 
— was Thorne wounded — were answered as far as I was able 
to do so. 

Here another comer joined in the conversation. " I saw 
that chap, your honor, swinging his cap on the top of the bat- 
tery, yesterday." " Yes, d — n him, so did I," said another ; 
" and I," " and I," chimed in at least a dozen voices. " Kill 
the s — n of a b — h !" " Kill him, the bloody traitor ! he's an 

39 



458 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 






Englishman : I know the place in England where he was born. 
He served with me in the old Peak (Pique) ten years ago in 
the Mediterranean, your honor," said another. This was too 
much, and careless of the consequences, I pronounced them a 
pack of liars. 

At this stage of affairs the surgeon commanded silence, 
which was obtained after considerable grumbling by the men, 
who were sent to fulfill various orders. Turning again to me, 
the surgeon asked whether I thought I should live if he had 
me taken up and conveyed on board of one of the vessels. I 
answered that I thought I should, as I did not feel much like 
dying at present. He felt my pulse, and with the remark, " I 
do not know," he left me, promising to return. The moments 
dragged slowly along, seeming almost like hours to me while 
they were absent ; but the sound of their voices at times 
showed they were at no great distance. 

In about ten minutes the party returned, and the ques- 
tion, whether I thought I should live, etc., was repeated, to 
which I gave the same answer as before. My condition was 
inspected and they again left me. Half an hour now elapsed, 
when they returned and put the same question, and received 
precisely the same answer. The surgeon asked me if I felt 
hungry ; but the sensation of hunger was no part of my 
troubles, and I merely requested a little water. " You shall 
have something in a short time that will make you stronger," 
said he ; "and as you think you will live, you shall be taken 
on board of the Gorgon and well cared for ; and you may rest 
perfectly easy, for I pledge you my word you shall not be hurt 
while under my charge." 

I thanked him for his kindness, and now felt that I had a 
protector. A number of men by his direction procured a 
square frame cot made for such uses, and under their super- 
vision I was laid upon it without causing me much pain ; then 
raising it upon their shoulders, with the surgeon and his mates 
following closely and watching their motions, they conveyed 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 459 

me down the steep road to the beach. In this transit I was 
surprised at the amount of vindictive feeling evinced towards 
me by the men. Their curses, although whispered, were pro- 
nounced with a fervor that was almost terrific ; and one of 
the number actually proposed to his mate upon the other side 
of me to let the cot slip from his shoulder, which would have 
been certain death to me, as the bank at the side of the road 
was nearly perpendicular, and I should have perished before 
any boat could have reached me. But the voices of my pro- 
tectors, as they cautioned them to mind what they were about, 
inspired me with confidence. Their list of vile epithets con- 
tinued unexhausted to the end of the journey, and I was at 
last set down upon the beach, the surgeon telling me that I 
must remain there until the launch was ready to return to the 
vessel. " You must make your mind easy, as no one shall 
hurt you ; and try if you can eat some of this biscuit." I 
made the attempt but could not ; but one of the younger sur- 
geons having soaked a portion in wine, he insisted that I should 
try, and it was put into my mouth, but I could not swallow 
it, though the wine relieved me. 

At this time my mind was as strong as it ever was, at least 
it seemed to be, and yet the remove from death was slight in- 
deed. While upon the beach, one of the younger of the sur- 
geons never left me. I inquired of him why their men were 
so bitter against me. " They lost some of their messmates 
yesterday," said he, for one thing ; " and they say you are an 
Englishman, which is nothing in your favor if it is the case. 
But you must not mind them ; you will be well taken care of, 
so make yourself perfectly easy on that score." After lying 
upon the beach near an hour, I was placed in the launch of 
the Gorgon, and shortly after I found myself on board. Oc- 
casionally a fit of delirium would take possession of me, but 
its duration was short, and the speaking of any one near me 
served to break it up. This was perceived, and I found some 
one constantly near me afterwards. While in this situation I 



460 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

was obliged to listen to the comments of every one who ap- 
proached the spot where I lay, and I was forced to the conclu- 
sion that all the humanity among them was confined to the medi- 
cal and surgical departments of their service. They attempted 
to dress my shattered arm, but it was beyond human nature to 
bear it and they desisted, and finally resolved to send me to 
the Admiral's ship off Montevideo. A transport brig which 
had accompanied the fleet, loaded with coal for the use of the 
steamers, having been relieved of her freight, was to be sent 
back in a few days, on board of which I was to be a passenger. 

The surgeons were very attentive to me, and furnished me 
with a diet that was calculated to restore my wasted strength, 
and after being on board three days I felt much better, and 
was able to note more particularly the conversation going on 
around me. As yet all was darkness, and my kind protector 
was very anxious at each visit in his inquiries as to whether I 
could perceive any light ; but not a ray had dawned upon my 
vision, and after seven days in this state, he told me it was 
probable my sight was .destroyed. I had begun to have the 
same fears myself, and & dreadful feeling of despair took pos* 
session of me in spite of all his remonstrances. My face was 
continually covered with doths saturated with oil, but the 
fever still kept a firm grasp upon it. I suffered great pain 
whenever the arm or leg was moved, and to complete my dis- 
tress, I was told that the probability was strong that I should 
have to suffer an amputation of the latter. 

On the eighth day on feoard I still remained in the same 
situation outwardly that I did the first. My clothing — a blue 
coat trimmed with red, a scarlet vest, together with my shirt 
bosom, rosary, and cross, (t;he gift of Pauline Rose, which had 
accompanied me through all my vicissitudes,) were blown en- 
tirely from my breast, which was likewise scorched consider- 
jablyj the edges of my tattered clothes being charred to a cinder. 
The pantaloons were stripped from my wounded leg as high as 
the knee, and I wag covered with blood and clay, no attempt 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 461 

having been made to relieve me of its offensive presence. At 
length one of the men, who professed to compassionate my 
situation, proposed to remove my clothing and furnish me with 
some of his own which were clean, volunteering still farther 
to rid me of some of the earthy covering which annoyed me. 
His offer was gladly accepted both by myself and the surgeon, 
who expressed himself glad that some one would undertake 
that duty. My tattered uniform was stripped off with some 
difficulty and considerable pain, and after a partial cleansing, 
which gave me great relief, I was provided with a seaman's 
undershirt of flannel without sleeves, a pair of calconcillas of 
common factory cloth fringed at the bottom, and an old blanket 
poncho, red with faded yellow stripes, — the two latter articles 
forming a part of the plunder which they had obtained from 
the camp of our troops. My boots were removed, and, with 
the rest of my Argentine equipments, departed for ever. How- 
ever, as it was warm between decks on board of the Gorgon 
I did not feel the want of clothing. 

I have said before that I overheard much conversation 
among the men, from which it appeared that the fire of our 
batteries upon the 20th was even more destructive than I had 
supposed, especially in regard to human life ; but I was not 
able to get any definite information. On board of the San Mar- 
tin the havoc was said to have been dreadful, and had there 
been a breath of wind at the close of the v battle her masts 
must have gone by the board — a catastrophe they were forced 
to make the greatest efforts to prevent. The English officers 
were anxious to learn who had been the director of what they 
were pleased to call our rocket battery, three or four common 
signal-rockets having been fired at them, one of which was said 
to have gone through the smokestack of the Gorgon — an abso- 
lute impossibility. But the object evidently was to glorify 
themselves, as was proved by their displeasure upon my inform- 
ing them that the Republicano was destroyed by the order of 
Major Craig, instead of by their shell, as they boasted. One of 

39* 



462 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

them, after saying that he had served on board of the same 
ship (Gorgon) at St. Jean d'Aere, declared that the resistance 
they had met with in reducing that strong place was nothing 
compared to what they had experienced from our batteries, 
and from present appearances they cared less about ascending 
the river farther than they did at the outset of their expedition. 
They did not hesitate to assure me that my destination was the 
gallows, the commander-in-chief having declared within my 
hearing that if he dared to do it, he would hang me at the 
yardarm of his vessel. It was lucky for me, therefore, that 
Sir Charles Hotham had such scruples, or I should have been 
relieved from all of my distress in a very summary manner. 
But there was one thing more that I overheard from the men 
which aggravated my feelings more than all the rest. Among 
the descriptions given of what he had seen, one af them men- 
tioned the corpses of the women, from a part af one of which 
he boasted of having taken a ring. He was close to me, and, 
almost suffocating, I asked if there were any letters upon it. 
He answered there were some outlandish words, and com- 
menced spelling V-i-v-e mi Duen-no. It was enough — it had 
belonged to Manuela! She had the motto engraved with the 
blade of the long dirk which had been presented to me by 
Capt. William Brown, of the Texan schooner Liberty, while in 
that service. The man suspected what I should say next and 
hurried off, and I endeavored to drive the subject from my 
mind. 

At length everything was in readiness for the fleet to con- 
tinue on its way up the river, and I felt by the motion of the 
paddles that we had left Obligado. I had lost the run of the days, 
and experienced frequent fits of what appeared to be delirium 
tremens, in which the most horrible imaginings possessed me. 
White free from these attacks, during the night, as I supposed, 
we were lying at anchor, and from the conversation I learned 
that the boats of the squadron had gone upon a search for the 
Chacubuco, which was said to be concealed somewhere among 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 463 

the islands. After a considerable time they returned, with the 
information that she had been bloAvn up by Nicola, and as it 
was now day, the steamer again got under way. 

What kept* me alive at this time I cannot conceive. My 
brain, the most of the time, seemed to be on fire. I lived alto- 
gether without eating, unless I was fed in my moments, or 
rather hours, of insanity — one of which intervals, I found, 
had been embraced to break and relieve my arm from its clayey 
covering, much to my relief. I knew the shattered limb must 
be removed, and wondered why it was not done at once ; but 
in answer to my inquiry why they did not amputate it, I 
was told it would be time enough when I should reach the 
Admiral's ship off the mount. 

This was to be the last day I was to spend on board of 
the Gorgon. Towards the afternoon I learned that prepara- 
tions were being made for another brush with Mancilla, and 
I judged the locality to be Santa Rosario. By the bustle on 
board, I found they expected warm work ; but after beating 
to quarters, they steamed slowly by and anchored above the 
place. Here, for the first time since I was wounded, I caught 
a faint glimpse of light ; and if the famished Arabian shouts 
for joy on beholding the oasis which is to relieve him from 
the grasp of death, my feelings were scarcely less exultant — 
I fairly screamed with delight, to the surprise of those upon 
the deck. But no one was there to sympathise with me 
until the surgeon came, who expressed himself gratified at my 
escape from blindness. Touching my right eyelid, he said the 
sight of that eye was undoubtedly destroyed, and was surprised 
when I told him that it was the one with which I could see. 
He dressed my face, and telling me that I was to be transferred 
to the transport the next morning, left me. When the time 
came for my removal on the morrow, my eyes had improved 
so that I could make out objects near me with tolerable clear- 
ness, and I found I could see with both, but for the present 
the light was painful. On being brought to the gangway to be 



464 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

placed in the boat, the morning air cut me to the bone, and I 
demanded the clothing which had been taken from me for the 
purpose of being washed and mended ; but no notice would 
have been taken of me, had it not been for the friendly surgeon, 
who called upon the man who had taken them to produce 
the articles. By the way, after the fellow had got posses- 
sion of my clothes, I received no attention from him, and 
he merely told the surgeon he had put them in soak in 
the wheelhouse, from which they had been washed away. 
While the conversation was going on, the officer in charge of 
the deck, who, from his language, I supposed was Hotham 
himself, called out to know what was the matter, On being 
told, he yelled out, u Away with him ! the boat is ready, and 
he shall go, clothing or no clothing !" They lowered me into 
the boat and conveyed me to the brig, where I was placed in 
the hold upon some old lumber. A surgeon was sent with me, 
but he was a stranger from one of the other vessels : however, 
he was very kind, and did his utmost to make me comfortable — • 
a thing not difficult, as I only required to be let alone. 

We were soon under way for the La Plata. Four months 
had only elapsed since I had entered the Parana. At that time 
I considered myself peculiarly unfortunate: what was my 
situation now ! I thought over the various occurrences during 
that short space of time, and suppose I must have been deliri- 
ous, for on my return to consciousness I found myself securely 
fastened to the place where I lay, and my little strength seemed 
to have deserted me. Three days had elapsed, and we were toss- 
ing upon the waves of the La Plata. I begged to be released, 
but the surgeon refused, saying, " You will hurt yourself." I 
promised, entreated, wept, and finally cursed, in my impotent 
rage ; but all to no purpose, as my paroxysms were considered 
as an evidence of the continuation of my derangement. At 
last I was worn out and became sullen and still, which I think 
would have been but the precursor of another fit of madness, 
if they had not looked upon it as a sign of returning reason 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 465 

and loosened my bonds. The next morning I was told we 
were alongside of the Vernon, the flag-ship of Rear- Admiral Sir 
William Inglefield, the commander-in-chief of the British naval 
forces upon the Brazil station. In a short time the frigate's 
cutter came alongside, and I was placed in it and conveyed 
on board. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 



Surgeon Moxy — My future destination — An amputation — Out of danger 
— Cross-questioning — Admiral Inglefield — Placed in irons — Companions 
in durance — The troop-ship — Our transfer — Sail for England — Six 
upon four — Peak of Pico — The British packet — News of the war be- 
tween the United States and Mexico — Whoever heard of the United 
States in England? — Sufferings from cold — The captain of the Apollo 
— Portsmouth — The Victory — Memorials of Nelson — Visitors — Admi- 
ral Parker — Sir George Seymour — His courtesy. 

As they carried me over the gangway of the ship, my eyes 
fell upon the surgeon, who commenced capering around me, 
rubbing his hands together, and exclaiming, " Case of amputa- 
tion ! case of amputation !" and knowing me as his subject for 
the present, he escorted my bearers to the sick-bay (the nautical 
phrase for hospital) of the ship, where I was placed upon a 
cot, and my wounds were examined and I was condemned to 
lose my leg. This I would not submit to, and at the same 
time wished him to leave my arm as it was. For the present 
he left me to myself, and I lay perfectly helpless for a day and 
a half. My wounds did not pain me much unless they were 
touched, or the limbs were suddenly moved. One thing served 
more than anything else to keep me alive. This was the signi- 
ficant motion which was made by every one who approached 
me, that my neck was to be stretched. This good feeling on 



4:66 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

their part did not fail to keep up an excitement in my mind 
which appeared to nourish my body. The surgeon of the ship, 
whose name I understood to be Moxy, was a very humane 
man, and appeared anxious to do all that he could for me. 
The gleeful expression of his feelings, upon my introduction 
to the ship, was to be ascribed rather to the opportunity which 
it offered for him to display his skill, than to any intention 
of harm to me. As long as I live I shall cherish the greatest 
respect for all the noble-hearted men who had* me under their 
immediate charge while they considered me an invalid. 

Many visitors came to see me, but none whom I knew ; 
and the assertion that I was a British subject meeting with no 
denial, from the fact that I was unable to utter a word, it 
became in their minds an indisputable fact, and I found that 
many were anxious to see me made a spectacle of at the yard- 
arm of Her Majesty's ship. Vernon. But there was no law 
short of England that could try me, and I felt easy on that 
score. At one time I was told that the captain of an Ameri- 
can man-of-war had been to lotfk at me while I was dozing, 
but he had declined to own me, of course, as the rescue of a 
poor American was of no account; while the hazard of em- 
broiling the United States in war was to be risked to cover a 
foreigner with the broad aegis of American protection. It was 
decided I should be sent to England for trial. 

Meanwhile, after having been on board of the frigate five 
days, the morning of the sixth saw preparations made for 
an amputation. There was no mistaking the object. The 
straps, table, instruments, etc., were all displayed ; and the 
surgeon assuring me that my leg was not to be amputated, I 
begged him not to fasten me, as I could bear the operation. 
This point was yielded; and being seated in a chair, in 
which I was supported by one of the surgeon's mates, in a 
short time they removed the shattered limb. Contrary to my 
expectations, the operation, instead of being painful, relieved 
me greatly, although while it was progressing a few sharp 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 467 

twinges accompanied the cutting of the nerves. After taking 
up the principal arteries they desisted, and I was laid upon 
the deck until near sundown, when the minor arteries were 
secured and the end of the stump was closed up. I was then 
placed in a cot again, and at the expiration of the next three 
days the crisis was said to be past and I was considered out 
of danger. 

I now rapidly grew stronger, and in a fortnight more I 
could sit up. Many of the officers came to talk with me, 
whose object evidently was to discover by my knowledge of 
England whether I was an Englishman or not, and the avowal 
that I had not only been in that country, but that I was well 
acquainted with it, was not productive of any favorable im- 
pressions in my favor. Through one of these I conveyed a 
message to the Admiral requesting to see him. Shortly after- 
wards he visited me, and I asked him to allow me to be 
exchanged as a prisoner of war. The request served to pro- 
cure me nothing but abuse, and the usual foul epithets of traitor, 
renegade, pirate, etc. This closed all effort on my part to 
obtain any favor short of England, and I looked anxiously for- 
ward to the moment when I should leave the vessel. 

About the 20th of January I was able to stand without 
assistance, and two days afterwards I was discharged from the 
care of the surgeon and placed between two of the guns upon 
the main deck of the ship. Here were some eight or ten other 
prisoners who were taken in the river, or rather had given 
themselves up, and for the safety of Her Majesty's interests and 
forces in South America it was deemed expedient that they 
should be sent to England. As our destination was the same, 
I was placed with them ; and as they were confined with iron 
shackles upon their ancles, through which ran a heavy iron bar, 
they thought I might as well have a shackle upon my ancle, 
when it was absolutely necessary that I should be allowed to 
exercise my limbs to make them strong enough to bear me. 

The troop ship Apollo, which had been dispatched from 



468 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

England with detachments of the 73d and 45th regiments for 
the Cape of Good Hope, having put into the Rio de la Plata 
at the moment when their presence was required to assist in 
holding the city of Montevideo against the Argentine forces, 
the troops were landed and the ship was ordered to return. 
By her we were to be sent to our destination, where we were 
to meet with the punishment due to our crimes, and were 
transferred to this vessel about the 2d of February. Before 
sailing I found means to forward a letter of farewell to Don 
Ramon Ramos at Buenos Ayres. in which I related what 
had befallen his niece and myself, and informed him of the 
improbability of my returning to Buenos Ayres again. On 
reaching the decks of this vessel we were at once placed in 
irons, as we had been on board of the Vernon. I requested 
the privilege of walking a little during the day, that I might 
recover the use of my limbs, but was refused ; and although I 
had to be carried on board of the Apollo, I concluded I would 
not beg any favors from them. I suffered most from cold, and 
among the whole ship's company I could not find commisera- 
tion enough to procure me an old coat or blanket to protect 
my shivering frame after we had passed through the tropics. 
The passage would have been very pleasant to me had I been 
allowed the privilege of moving around. Of food they pro- 
vided me with more than I could eat, owing to my weakness 
and want of appetite ; but had I been a well man the daily 
allowance would have been small. Our provisions were issued 
to the prisoners at the established rate, i. e. six upon four, or 
six prisoners upon the allowance of four of their own men. 
My companions in durance were not looked upon by the sailors 
and marines with much apparent ill-feeling, as they had volun- 
tarily surrendered themselves to the Anglo-French command- 
ers ; but I found the same abusive language heaped upon me 
on board of the Apollo that I had experienced in the Yernon 
and Gorgon. Worse than all, (a circumstance which makes 
me laugh whenever I think of it,) I at last lost caste even with 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 469 

the Englishmen and Paddies who were shackled to the same 
bar with me. The secret of this was the avowal which I made 
from the first, that I had done the best for the Argentines -that I 
possibly could, and consequently had endeavored to oppose the 
progress of their (my fellow prisoners') fleet as much as lay in 
my power. They adopted the same language that our jailors 
did towards me, until one day, one of the Irishmen being rather 
louder in his upbraidings than w^as consistent with our situa- 
tion, an officer of the ship, overheard him and administered a 
succession of kicks and cuffs which for ever shut his mouth 
upon that subject. 

Nothing transpired on the passage until we sighted the 
peak of Pico, one of the Azores, on the morning of the 20th 
of March. The weather was very foggy at the time, and the 
ship was almost upon it before it was discovered. It was on the 
larboard side of us as we passed, and by clinging to the tack- 
ling of the gun near me and looking through the port, I obtained 
an excellent view of the mountain, which has an elevation of 
8,000 feet. Its sides were dotted high up with white buildings 
peeping out from among the vineyards. The island belongs to 
Portugal, in common with the rest of the group. Its latitude 
is 38° 29' N., longitude 28° 26' W. Before losing sight of the 
peak one of the British Government packets from Falmouth, 
bound to Eio de Janeiro, past within hail, and through the 
open port I heard the news conveyed from the packet to the 
Apollo officers, that Sir Robert Peel was again premier of 
England ; and, what was of far more interest to me, that there 
was war between the United States and Mexico. It was amus- 
ing to hear the various comments made upon this news by the 
whole of these far-seeing and amiable cousins of brother 
Jonathan. The universal Yankee nation was whipped over 
and over, and completely chawed up ; and to hear them talk, 
one would hardly suppose there was an Englishman in exist- 
ence who ever heard of such a country as the United States. 
The celebrated Sir Hyde Parker asked me, when on board of 

40 



470 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

the Victoiy in the harbor of Portsmouth, whether the American 
Government gave pensions to men wounded in their service. 
He would not be guilty of knowing so much about such a small 
affair as the United States, for his title. The men composing 
the ship's company were not allowed to communicate with us, 
but with some of my companions a secret correspondence was 
carried on by means of signs. What the basis of this unusual 
change was, I could not find out. 

From Pico to the British channel nothing worthy of note 
transpired, except that I almost perished with cold. I drank 
my cocoa and pea-soup daily, and shivered the rest of the time, 
except when tantalized by the gallant Britons on the opposite 
side of the deck. At such times I could not forbear to let loose 
all the pent-up hatred there was in my heart towards them. 
If an officer passed by, I shook my miserable old threadbare 
poncho at him, and asked him if that was sufficient clothing 
for a man to venture upon the coast of England with in the 
month of March ; but they always passed by without taking 
any notice of me, except once, when I happened to accost the 
commander of the vessel, who stopped and appeared somewhat 
surprised. He demanded what had reduced my wardrobe so 
low, when I told him the whole story. "Pooh, pooh; very 
improbable story, very : however, must have some clothes, 
certain." He turned, walked aft, and I saw nothing more of 
him until we entered the harbor of Portsmouth on the 29th 
of the month. 

On entering the port, the ship was immediately swarmed 
with shoremen, bumboats, reporters for news, and last, though 
by far the most plentiful, prostitutes. The uproar from this. 
mixed crowd was almost deafening. A number of reporters 
approached to question us, but they were ordered off, and get- 
ting no information from the sentry, they departed. From 
the general conversation, I found that the ship was going into 
dock, and the crew, who had served their time out, were to be 
paid off. Within a couple of hours we were placed in a launch 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 471 

and conveyed to the guard-ship, the Victory, the vessel on 
board of which Lord Nelson was killed at Trafalgar. They 
seemed to consider us dangerous persons^ for we were placed in 
irons as soon as we reached the orlop deck of this ship, where 
the only light we enjoyed was the dingy glimmer of some half- 
dozen candles, which were stuck up around in iron brackets* 
Here we were relieved in a great measure from the gaping 
crowds we had been so long troubled with, and I, for one, 
was greatly relieved. The next morning four of the pris- 
oners were taken away from our party, and we were told 
that nothing having been found against them, they were set 
at liberty. There were now but five of us left, and all with 
the exception of myself were pretty certain of a speedy libera- 
tion. From the spot where we were confined we could per- 
ceive a metal plate bearing the inscription,. " Here Nelson 
died," On the spar-deck a similar plate conveyed the infor- 
mation that there the great man fell. The fame of this vessel 
even now has the effect of drawing large numbers of the British 
public to view the place where the hero drew his last breath. 
This was very opportune for me, as I was enabled to live much 
more comfortably while on board of this ship than I had since 
I had fallen into their hands. A sentry was posted near by to 
prevent any communication with us, who usually answered 
the thousand-and-one questions which during the clay were 
asked by the scores of gentlemen and ladies who daily visited 
the ship. These, after satisfying their curiosity in gazing at 
me, usually placed a sixpence in his hand to be divided be 
tween himself and me. Of these donations my guardian 
usually appropriated the lion's share to himself, but occasionally 
the visitors would toss their mite to me, which I managed to 
secure. 

The morning after being transferred to the Victory we 
were inspected by Port- Admiral Parker, Sir George Seymour, 
and several other officers. The Admiral, a stout, brandy- 
visaged person, strutted along in front of us, and looking 



472 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

down, delivered himself of a series of grunts, and then turn- 
ing to his flag-captain, (Seymour,) said: " You call them 
pirates, eh ! They are not pirates : they are not Englishmen, 
either. However," he continued, turning on his heel, " I sup- 
pose they are some Englishmen's bastards." Having delivered 
himself of this speech, and indulged in a guffaw at what he 
doubtless considered his wit, he was about to move away. At 
this moment I spoke to him, and not knowing his rank, I ad- 
dressed him as captain. He turned to listen, and in a respect- 
ful tone I requested permission to write to Col. Aspinwall, the 
American consul-general at London. " You can have no 
communication with the shore," he replied tartly. " You are 
known to be a British subject, sir, and have served under our 
flag ; we have proofs of it, sir." He was moving away, and I 
called out to him that I was not a British subject, that he had 
no proofs of the kind, and that I had never served under the 
dirty rag that waved over the ship. He was too far off to hear 
the last part of my speech, or I do not know what would have 
been the consequence to me. The sentry over us, to whom I 
had not as yet become an object of so much importance pecu- 
niarily, was greatly shocked and made a threatening move- 
ment with his bayonet, while my brother-prisoners opened 
upon me a volley of abuse, which I returned with interest. 
The truth is, I was nearly worn out. Thrust from the sick- 
bay of the Yernon as soon as I was able to stand, and imme- 
diately placed in irons, in which I had now been kept for two 
months, it will not be wondered at that I had almost lost the 
use of my limbs, especially as my whole system had been 
brought so low by previous sufferings. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 473 



CHAPTEK XLVIII. 

The chapel — The flag-captain and his family — The British lieutenant — A 
gleam of hope — The demand — Surrender — An acknowledgment of Brit- 
ish humanity — Cowes — Osborne House — An adventure — Disappoint- 
ment — Proceed to London — Southampton — Adventure in the cars — 
The sisters — Loudon — The consul — Friendship of the English for tbe 
Yankees — The old man and his granddaughter — Passage to the United 
States — Land in New-York — Proceed to Boston. 

The days slipped away almost without my noticing them. 
Day and night were alike revealed by the smoky blaze of tal- 
low candles, while occasionally a few rays of sunlight were ob- 
served under the hatchways. At last I grew tired of sitting 
and returning the curious stare of the visitors, and endeavored 
to attract as little observation as possible. Sunday came^ and 
I was released from my shackles and assisted to the main deck 
of the ship, where a large space had been enclosed to be used 
as a chapel. Around an open hatch in the deck above, a large 
choir of boys, well trained for the service, chanted the ritual. I 
was placed upon a bench on the larboard side of the ship, 
with a marine on either side of me. Directly opposite were 
seated the flag-captain, Sir George Seymour, with his wife and 
two daughters, who had probably been brought to see the English 
pirates, and doubtless were highly gratified with my piratical 
appearance, which the reader, if he recollects the components 
of my costume, will acknowledge was very picturesque. I 
was seated when they entered, and at the first glance they 
seemed frightened. A moment later, some change being deemed 
necessary, I was moved, with the assistance of the marines, two 
seats nearer to them, and after getting seated, on casting my 
eyes in their direction, I saw plainly that fear had given place 
to pity. I had not had my hair cut or been shaved for six 
months : my flesh had all wasted away, and the ashy paleness 
of my face, filled with the powder that had been blown into 

40* 



474 WILD OATS SOWINGS 

it, contrasted admirably with the old faded poncho and fringed 
calconcillas, which were girted about me with an old red sash. 

But now the church service commenced, and so long had 
it been since I had witnessed anything like the Protestant ser- 
vice, that it seemed as novel to me as if I had never seen or 
heard it before. With it, too, came recollections of home and 
friends. I was greatly affected, but there was no godly sor- 
row for sin in my tears : they flowed rather from my exhausted 
stated and revengeful feelings. After service I was again 
placed in irons. One of the lieutenants of the ship, who stood 
near while the shackles were being locked upon the bar, hear- 
ing me complain, remarked, " I suppose you know why you 
are kept in irons ?" " O yes, perfectly," said I. " Well that's 
right, my lad, what is it f" " To prevent us from taking the 
ship, I suppose." He walked off, cursing me for a saucy 
Yankee — something or other. 

Day after day passed, and no hopes of release. I had col- 
lected about ten shillings of British money which had been 
tossed to me by visitors, and the marines, who were usually 
stationed near me, procured me abundance of provisions, with 
what they were pleased to allot me from what they received 
on my account. Another Sunday, then Good Friday, and 
finally Easter, I was taken to the chapel on the main deck. 
All in the ship were assembling for worship, and I was in my 
place. Sir George opposite had folded his hands, and the 
good parson was hemming to clear his throat preparatory to 
commencing the service, when a stranger entered upon the 
starboard side, and making his way to the captain, commenced 
whispering in his ear, and while this was going on I noticed a 
number of nods and furtive looks from both of the parties di- 
rected towards me. I was at a loss to know what all this meant, 
but some faint glimmerings of hope darted through my mind, 
and a moment afterwards the captain arose and followed the 
new-comer out of the chapel. After a while he returned and . 
resumed his seat, and all my hopes evaporated at once. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 475 

The service ended, and the notables opposite passed out. 
My guardians, who never left me, assisted me up, and once 
more I issued from the chapel ; but instead of moving towards 
the nearest hatch, as was their usual custom, they directed our 
way towards a group of four gentlemen, who stood near the 
mainmast. Upon reaching them, one of the number asked me 
several questions in regard to my place of nativity, family, etc. 
Upon my answering them to his satisfaction, he turned to the 
baronet, and said, " I will guarantee that he is an American 
citizen, and I am empowered to demand and receive him by 
the United States Government." This was all that was said 
about that part of the matter ; and while some papers were 
being made out relative to the transfer, the gentlemen con- 
tinued in conversation. At length the person who had ques- 
tioned me suddenly turned, and regarding me very attentively, 
remarked to Sir George, " He is very much emaciated." The 
Englishman bowed assent, and making a motion to a mulatto 
steward at a little distance, gave some order in a low voice, 
the tenor of which was made apparent a moment after in the 
approach of the servant with a glass of wine. I could not 
have drank it if my life had depended upon my doing so, and 
I remarked significantly and loudly that it was the first offer 
of kindness I had experienced at the hands of the British, and I 
wished it to be the last. "If I had been taken prisoner by the 
Hottentots at the Cape of Good Hope," said I, "I should have 
experienced better treatment than I have received from your 
humane British sailors and soldiers." There was no mistaking 
the sparkle in the eye of Sir George. If he could have had 
me in his power for a short space of time, he would probably 
have given me another taste of British vengeance. 

The papers were by this time made out, and my deliverer 
had me placed in a wherry, and as we pushed off from the 
Victory, he remarked, " You are too weak at present to attempt 
the passage to London. I shall take you in the steamer to 
Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, where you will remain until you 



476 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

recover your strength, and then we will see what farther can 
be done for you." My conductor appeared unwilling to be 
very communicative, and I failed in my efforts to learn his 
name. Whoever he was, he seemed to know more of the 
family to which I belonged than I did myself — a circumstance 
not to be wondered at, considering I had spent but little of my 
time at home since early boyhood. 

Cowes, the place of our destination, was situated directly 
opposite Portsmouth, upon the west side of the Isle of Wight, 
at the distance of twelve miles from that great naval ren- 
dezvous. It is considered the most healthy locality in the 
British islands, and is built upon both sides of a small river 
called the Cowes, over which is a bridge connecting the two 
banks. On the eastern side, at a short distance from the river, 
stands Osborne House, a summer residence of the Queen — a 
large swell-front building of whitish stone. ' At West Cowes, 
fronting upon the strait, is the station of the Royal Yacht 
Club, in front of which was planted a battery of small cannon 
used for signals and saluting. In the town the houses have an 
antiquated look, but this is relieved by the bustle and activity 
that prevails in every quarter, and which had the effect of 
relieving the tedium of my residence there. The harbor, which 
is excellent, is much frequented by vessels stopping to receive 
their final orders before proceeding upon their voyage ; and 
during the summer it is a place of great resort for the nobil- 
ity and gentry for the purposes of sea-bathing and regattas. 

As we drew alongside the pier, I was much pleased with 
the scene of busy life which presented itself upon every side ; 
but I was just then in a state of mind to be pleased with 
everything. I was immediately placed in a carriage and con- 
veyed to the consulate, where I was delivered in charge of a 
hotel proprietor, with orders to furnish me with whatever I 
should require. My situation excited the commiseration of all 
who saw me, and every one seemed willing and even anxious 
to make me forget my late sufferings. The vice-consul pro- 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 477 

posed to clothe me, but I told him I should prefer to wear the 
dress their generosity had furnished me as long as I remained 
in England. To this he consented, and with good attendance 
and gradual exercise I soon began to grow strong and to take 
an interest in what was going on around me. 

In my rambles I visited the grounds in the vicinity of 
Osborne House, over a large part of which I had wandered be- 
fore my presence was detected. The Queen was there, and I 
was in hopes of obtaining a close view of her ; but the coach in 
which she was taking her morning drive did not pass the place 
where I was standing concealed by the shrubbery, and a few 
moments later I was discovered by some of the guard, the 
sergeant of which, wondering how the deuce I got there with- 
out being observed, conducted me to the entrance of the 
grounds, where I made my exit with a caution not to be caught 
there again. I had seen the Queen at the theatre in 1838, and 
recollected my surprise at her very ordinary appearance, and 
always had an idea that I had not well observed the cynosure of 
the British public ; hence my anxiety to see her again, and had 
her equipage passed along the road where I was concealed, I 
should have been within thirty feet of the royalty of England. 
On relating my adventure to the landlord of the house where 
I was boarding, he shook his head, saying that it was dangerous 
to be caught in such places, and advised me to keep away in 
future, as I should have had more difficulty in getting away, 
if the sergeant had not let me off through fear of being 
punished for neglect or carelessness. 

By the 10th of May I had sufficiently recovered to bear 
the journey to London, and the vice-consul having decided to 
send me there, I requested permission to set out. He advised 
me to remain in my present quarters a little longer until I 
was fully recovered; but as I was anxious to leave, he con- 
sented and furnishing me with money and a letter to the con- 
sul-general, I crossed over to Southampton in the steamer that 
same night, to be in readiness for the first train of cars on the 



478 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

following morning. As the passage was made in the night, I 
had no opportunity of obtaining a good view of the celebrated 
Hampton water, which is not to be spoken of in the same clay 
with many of the sounds and bays of the United States. 
Southampton is the county-seat of Hampshire, and is situated 
between two small streams which empties into the head of the 
bay. The appearance of the place denoted that its inhabitants 
were a brisk and thriving people, although at the early hour in 
which I left the town the business of the day had not fairly 
commenced. Its distance from London is about seventy- 
five miles. 

At half-past seven in the morning I took my place in an 
empty car, which from appearances I judged would remain so, 
but I was greatly mistaken : within a few moments of starting 
it began to fill up rapidly, the passengers being principally 
ladies. At starting, every seat was occupied, and if I could 
have got out, I felt I should have been willing to walk to 
London, rather than be caught in such company in my pre- 
sent condition. My appearance attracted general attention, 
and ere we had been under way ten minutes the hats of the 
three gentlemen in the car were circulating among the passen- 
ger, and the jingling of the money, as each one contributed his 
mite, fell gratingly upon my ear. It seemed to be a fresh 
insult they were seeking to offer me, for my prejudice against 
the British Government extended to the whole British nation, 
and latterly I had lost all feelings of gratitude even towards 
those to whom I was really indebted for life, (the surgeons,) for 
the motives of their conduct had developed themselves, and 
saving a man's life that you may hang him afterwards, is hardly 
deserving of gratitude. My present position was attributable 
to the unjust interference of England in the affairs of the 
country I was serving ; and the idea of having become an object 
of charity, to the people of that country was intolerable, and I 
foolishly resolved that I would not accept a farthing from 
them. This was very wrong, and I have ever since regretted it. 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 479 

The hats, heavily freighted, were given in charge of a 
couple of ladies, apparently sisters, who were seated directly 
before and facing me. After counting the money, the amount 
of which appeared to please them much, the younger of the 
two approached, and very sweetly said that my appearance 
seemed to betoken misfortune and destitution. The sympa- 
thies of the passengers had been excited in my behalf, and they 
had made a little collection for me which they wished me 
to accept. "Here are five pounds, all but two shillings and 
sixpence," said she ; " it may be of great service to you." I 
told her I felt very much obliged to her and the rest of the 
passengers, but as I had a sufficient sum to pay all my expenses, 
I did not feel at liberty to accept the money. The poor girl 
drew back as if an adder had darted its fangs at her, and 
regarded me with such an air of curiosity and amazement, that 
I was sorry for her sake I had been so rude as to refuse it. 
Resuming her seat by the side of her companion, they both 
gazed at me until I was half disposed to be angry, while a 
general whispering through the cars showed that the rest of 
the passengers were no less astonished than the ladies were. 
The elder of the two next urged me to accept the money, but 
as I had refused it at first, I thought I would not draw back ; 
and after a little discussion among themselves, it was suggested 
that the sum should be given to some charitable institution. 
This meeting with general approval, "the money was handed 
over to the custody of a clergyman in the car, who offered to 
carry out the resolution of the company. An effort was now 
made by the two sisters to learn what had brought me to my 
present condition ; and here I must observe that there is a vast 
difference between the ladies of England and those of our 
country. The English woman, as a general thing, is not afraid 
or ashamed to ask for information, whether it concerns her or 
not, even from a stranger, if her curiosity impels her to do so, 
the very idea of which would be repugnant to an American 
lady's sense of propriety. In answer to their inquiries, I gave 



480 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

them a brief account of what had befallen me since I fell into 
the hands of their countrymen ; and my communicativeness 
served to do away with the unpleasant feeling my apparently 
ungracious refusal of their bounty had occasioned, and after 
finishing my story, they acknowledged they could understand 
the feelings which had led to my late strange act. "However," 
said the younger, laughingly, "you should have more gallantry 
than to include ladies among your list of enemies. Our inten- 
tions were only for your good; but as you will not accept 
money, perhaps you will not be so unreasonable in regard to 
sharing in our breakfast, of which we have an abundance." I 
accepted this offer at once, and all who were seated near me 
kept up a very sociable conversation until we arrived at the 
great metropolis. Many invitations were given me by various 
persons to visit them, the acceptance of which afterwards served 
to employ my time while awaiting the sailing of the packet. 

In about three hours from the time we started we entered 
the Yauxhall suburb of the British capital, and presently em- 
barking on board of a steamer at Kensington, in a few mo- 
ments we were landed at the Tower stairs, from whence, being 
acquainted with the localities, I proceeded to the consulate in 
St. Paul's Churchyard, where I was at once recognised by the 
consul, and the record of the facts in relation to my former 
visit to the office in 1838 were searched for and found among 
the documents of the office. I was immediately furnished with 
a boarding-house, and received an order for clothing, etc., 
which enabled me to pass among the people without attracting 
so much attention by my outlandish appearance. The war 
between the United States and Mexico was an all-engrossing 
subject of conversation at the time, and the sympathies of the 
British people, especially those who really knew anything 
about the two countries, were decidedly in favor of the latter, 
power, which they confidently asserted would have possession 
of the American capital before the year was ended. But this 
expression of opinion was only the result of their own wishes, 



WILD OATS SOWINGS. 481 

although among the majority it was attributable solely to 
ignorance. 

In my former visit to England, while stopping at Coventry 
for a few days, during one of my frequent rambles into the 
country I entered a neat little cottage by the roadside, where 
my attention was instantly attracted by a very aged man, who 
occupied a great arm-chair at one side of the capacious fire- 
place. His long hair, which lay upon his shoulders, was as 
white as wool. A woman s-ome forty years of age, neat and 
tidy in appearance, who was doing some housework, stepped 
forward, and answering in the affirmative to my inquiry for 
milk, she exclaimed, " Ye notice the old man ; I am his grand- 
daughter. He is 104 years old next michaelmas : but he is 
passing deaf and he has no sight ; but he enjoys excellent 
health, praise God ! Have you ever seen so old a person be- 
fore V 9 I answered that I had not. "Ay, lad, you'll travel 
many a weary mile afore you find the likes o' him." Here 
the old gentleman seemed to notice our presence, and he de- 
manded of his granddaughter who we were. The woman 
now looked at me for information, and having told her that I 
was an American and a sailor, she conveyed the answer into 
the old gentleman's ear, in tones which were almost deafening 
to me. After she had succeeded in making him understand, 
she turned to me with a look of incredulity, and asked if she 
had understood me aright about my being an American. I 
assured her she had, and that I was really an American. " O 
you need not tell me that — I know better than that : why, you 
are just like our people ; but the Americans are all black." In 
this belief I was obliged to leave the whole family, as no as- 
sertion of mine to the contrary was sufficient to persuade her 
she was mistaken. Instances of like ignorance were by no 
means rare wherever I went, the people generally having an 
idea that the Americans were little better than a nation „of 
savages ; and even in many of the cities and towns of the inte- 
rior, the common people had no idea of anything beyond their 



482 WILD OATS SOWINGS. 

immediate neighborhood. In London I could always find 
plenty who were disposed and even sought opportunities to 
insult the Yankees, professing to hold them in utter contempt. 
Many of the songs daily sung by the men on board of the 
Apollo during her passage to England were in honor of their 
victory over the unfortunate Chesapeake, the capture of the 
Essex, Wasp, etc., and I obtained a blessing from them one 
day for appending to the list the names of those vessels of the 
British navy which had fallen into the hands of our country- 
men. Any allusion to these appeared to destroy the equanim- 
ity of their temper in an instant. These feelings still exist* 
The British people hate everything American, simply because 
we avow ourselves their rivals in everything that is really 
meritorious, and cross them occasionally in their plundering 
schemes of interference with our neighboring republics of the 
south. 

The time was now fast approaching when I was to bid 
good-bye to England. The packet ship Wellington was named 
by the consul as the vessel in which I should make the pass- 
age to the United States, and I was directed to hold myself 
in readiness to go on board. The order to embark came on 
the 9th of May, and toward the close of the afternoon we left 
the St. Catherine's dock, and taking steam, we were soon on 
our way down the Thames. After passing Greenwich Hospi- 
tal I left the deck, and in the morning we were entering the 
strait between the main island and Wight. By noon we were 
clear of the Needles, (sharp-pointed rocks which rise singly 
from the water at the western extremity of the Isle of Wight,) 
and I was bounding over the billows once more, down the chan- 
nel, with the blue ocean before me. 

Nothing worth recording happened upon the passage, and 
twenty-eight days after leaving the dock in London we passed 
Sandy Hook and entered the harbor of New- York. I was 
very much depressed in spirits on once more placing my feet 
upon my nalive soil. The thought of ttie great change in 



wittf cats sowings. 483 

my situation and prospects rushed upon my mind with an 
overwhelming force, arid for some time I gave way to a kind 
of sullen despair. I Was careless as to what became of me, 
and instead of returning to my friends, I lounged about New- 
York for* some two months. But this could not continue long, 
and in August I proceeded to Boston and once more found 
myself with friends and relatives, I now learned that a 
brother, younger than myself, had been to the Rio de la Plata 
for the purpose of obtaining information of me. He had 
sailed in the Columbia frigate from the United States, and had 
returned in the same ship, having been on the Brazil station 
three years, during which time he had made every possible 
inquiry as to my whereabouts. He was on board of that ship 
on the morning c-f the escape of myself and comrades from the 
Riveristas, arid witnessed the refusal of the officer to allow us 
to come on board. Afterwards we met repeatedly at the 
Buceo without recognizing each other, and he finally returned 
bearing the intelligence that I had been killed in the expedi- 
tion into the Parana in 1842, which information he had re- 
ceived as authentic from acquaintances in Montevideo ; and as 
there was no one to gainsay this intelligence, it was accepted 
as true by the most of my relatives, whose surprise at my re- 
appearance among them may readily be imagined. 



THE END, 



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